MENA Witnessed Significant M&A Deals In Medical, Insurance, And Education In Q1 2018

 Mergermarket, the leading provider of M&A data and intelligence, reports that the M&A first quarter of 2018 has already witnessed deals of significant value in the Insurance, Medical, and Education sectors. The largest deal of the quarter was Total’s investment into the Umm Shaif and Nasr fields and Lower Zakum off-shore concession for a combined US$1.45bn. Key deals were discussed today at Mergermarket’s MENA Mergers 2018 forum hosted at Jumeirah Emirates Towers in Dubai, which serves as a platform for the M&A, Private Equity, and Corporate Restructuring industries.

In line with global trends, pressure from shareholders seeking gaining market share pushed companies towards defensive consolidation through M&A. Domestic deals recorded 13 deals worth $2.5bn, driven by the acquisition of a 53.37% stake in Moroccan insurance firm Saham Finances for $1.05 billion by Sanlam and its general Insurance subsidiary, Santam, the highest quarterly value for the region on since Q1 2017 (US$ 2.6bn).

This trend was also particularly evident in the Medical sector. Two of the top ten deals targeted the Medical sector, both of which were conducted by UAE-based NMC Health Plc. The firm acquired a 49% stake in Fakih IVF Group and a 70% stake in CosmeSurge, for $205 million and $177 million respectively. There were also two significant deals in the Education sector, with Khazanah Nasional Berhad’s $130 million investment into GEMS Education and KMR Holding Pedagogique’s $54 million into the Universite Internationale de Casablanca.