Saudi Arabian Oil is set to appoint Goldman Sachs and Citigroup to
help manage its initial public offering, people familiar with the matter
said, as the state-owned crude producer pushes ahead with what could be
the world’s largest share sale.
JPMorgan Chase & Co, HSBC and Morgan Stanley, which have been
advisers on the share sale, are also expected to be named as global
co-ordinators along with those two banks, the people said, asking not to
be identified because the information is private. The mandates could be
finalised as early as this week, the people said. The list of banks is
not final and more could be added, they said.
Aramco, as the company is known, last month asked banks to pitch for
roles as co-ordinators and bookrunners for the IPO, people familiar with
the matter said at the time. Saudi Arabia is seeking to sell as much as
5% of Aramco as part of a plan by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to
set up the world’s biggest sovereign wealth fund and reduce the
economy’s reliance on hydrocarbons.
The sale could be the largest ever, based on the government’s
$2-trillion valuation of the company. Aramco, Goldman Sachs, Citigroup,
HSBC, Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan declined to comment.
"This shows that the commitment to push ahead with the Aramco IPO is
unrelenting as it’s a core pillar of the government’s economic
diversification strategy," said John Sfakianakis, director of economic
research at the Gulf Research Center.
Sovereign fund
Saudi Arabia is stepping up plans to diversify its economy away from
oil under an economic transformation plan known as Vision 2030. The
kingdom aims to transfer ownership of Aramco to the kingdom’s Public
Investment Fund.
The IPO is moving ahead and all options are open on where to list
shares of the giant oil producer, finance minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan
said in December, dispelling reports that the process was delayed. The
state-owned company has previously said the share sale is scheduled for
later this year.
The November arrests of Saudi princes and officials accused of
corruption would not harm foreign investment or the kingdom’s plan for
the offering, energy minister Khalid Al-Falih said that month.
The share sale has drawn interest from international stock exchanges
in London, New York, Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo and Toronto, which are
all competing to host the Aramco listing.
President Donald Trump personally lobbied Saudi King Salman to list
Aramco on the New York Stock Exchange during a phone call between the
world leaders in November. Later that month, UK
Prime Minister Theresa
May said London was "extremely well-placed" to win the listing.
The UK has already invested considerable political capital to try to
secure the business for the London Stock Exchange. The government in
November agreed to a $2bn loan guarantee, an unusually large export
credit guarantee that is designed to finance the purchase of British
goods, but that also opened May up to the suggestion she was trying to
influence the listing decision.
Britain’s main financial regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority,
has also drawn criticism for proposed changes to listing rules that
would make it easier for Aramco to trade in London.
Bloomberg
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