Bucking the trend of most banking sectors across the world today, Saudi Arabia’s investment banking market is continuing to go from strength to strength, and setting new records in terms of the size of deals being closed. From project finance to Islamic bond issuance, mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity to asset management, Saudi investment banks are finding there is no shortage of opportunities for growth.
The huge infrastructure projects that are planned or under way in the country are the driving force behind the growth in project finance; construction and infrastructure sub-sectors in Saudi Arabia grew by 177% in 2012 compared to the previous year, and currently account for 46% of the 2012 to 2013 project pipeline in the Middle East and north Africa (Mena) region, totalling $448bn.
