NYSE looks to allay Saudi Aramco fears ahead of listing

NEW YORK: Only Wall Street can offer Saudi Aramco the exposure to capital that it needs for a successful public listing, according to a top New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) executive.
Alex Ibrahim, head of international capital markets for the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), told Arab News that all the world’s other major oil firms had opted for NYSE.
It comes as Saudi Arabian officials eye several global bourses to sell 5 percent of the national oil company via an initial public offering (IPO) expected later this year.
“If you look at the US capital markets and compare it to London Hong Kong, look at the size of this market and how many companies in the oil center are listed here,” Ibrahim told Arab News at the 225-year-old Wall Street institution.
“The two largest oil companies from the United Kingdom are listed here. We trade them more here than in the local market. This is a very deep market for the oil sector and (Aramco) should take that into consideration when they decide.”
London, Hong Kong and other bourses have less experience with “very large complex transactions” like the looming Aramco share sale, which could raise some $100 billion or more in what would likely be the world’s biggest IPO, added Ibrahim.
He spoke as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman concluded a three-day visit to Britain, which is also fighting to win the prize listing.
New York and London have long been the front runners to host a potential international leg of the flotation, alongside a Riyadh listing.
On Thursday, Saudi Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih expressed fears about the risks Aramco would run by choosing New York as the venue for its market offering, saying that “litigation and liability are a big concern in the US.”
Companies face a heavy regulatory burden when they list publicly in the US. Saudi oil chiefs are understood to be anxious about law suits over everything from climate change to anti-terror financing rules.
Saudi Arabian Oil Co, known as Saudi Aramco, has prepared for the IPO to take placeas early as this year.
Saudi Aramco has been valued at as much as $2 trillion — more than six times the value of Exxon Mobil.
A deal of that size would be a prize for the world’s leading stock markets, and they’re lobbying fiercely for the business.
Chris Taylor, NYSE’s vice president of listings and services, said:
“Over the last four years, there have been 38 IPOs in the US that have raised $700 million or more. Every single one of them chose the NYSE as its bourse.”
The IPO is a cornerstone of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 social and economic transformation blueprint,
Proceeds from the sale will be pumped into technology, tourism and other sectors.