Zawya: MENA's M&A activity rises 33% in H1

Merger and acquisition activity in the Middle East and North Africa rose 33 percent in the first half of 2011 compared to the same period last year, business intelligence provider Zawya has said.Its latest report revealed that M&A activity shrugged off the effects of political turmoil in the region.The first six months of the years saw a total of 173 deals, an increase of 33 percent over the 130 deals closed in the same period of 2010.In terms of total deal value, M&A activity increased 30 percent, reaching $21.17 billion in H1, the report added.Tunisia witnessed the largest average deal value of $535 million in the first half of 2011, with four deals totalling $2.14 billion.In comparison, in H1 2010, Qatar recorded the highest average value per deal with $937 million from six deals valued at $5.6 billion. However, the UAE took the lead in terms of deal volume with 32 deals in H1 2011 compared to nine in H1 2010, resulting in an increase of 226 percent, Zawya added. Targeted deal values in the UAE amounted to $2.07 billion in H1 2011, compared to $633.91 million in H1 2010, resulting in a 226 percent rise.The UAE also secured the largest M&A transaction in H1 2011 worth $5.06 billion, when Abu Dhabi-based International Petroleum Investment Company acquired an incremental 48.9 percent equity stake in Spain's Compania Espanola de Petroleos.This eclipsed the largest deal of H1 2010, which was between Ezdan Real Estate Company and International Housing Company in Qatar, marking a $3.33 billion deal value. Saudi Arabia saw the number of deals increase by 118.18 percent from 11 to 24 in H1 2011 reflecting a solid economy, Zawya's report showed.Deal value in Saudi Arabia increased by 266 percent to $1.71 billion in H1 2011. Across the MENA region, the sectors targeted by investors saw little change from 2010 to 2011. The financial services, industrial manufacturing and real estate sectors continued to dominate the charts in terms of deal volume, Zawya said.In terms of deal value, Oil and gas topped the charts, with $6 billion in H1 2011, compared to real estate's $4.7 billion in H1 2010. From / Arabian Business News