Episode 46-Building Markets: The GCC IPO Surge

In recent years, the IPO market in the GCC has been on fire. Driven by government initiatives and a push to expand regional equity markets, the region has seen a surge in IPO activity. Saudi Arabia is expecting over 50 IPOs in 2024, while the UAE has led the way in IPO proceeds, especially in 2023​.

But what’s behind this rise? What challenges do companies face as they list, and what opportunities are out there? 

In today’s episode, we’re joined by Salmaan Khawaja and Alex Tusi from Grant Thornton UAE to help us dive into the drivers of this IPO boom and explore what it means for businesses looking to go public in the GCC.

Topics in this episode include:

• The factors behind the IPO boom
• The challenges for family companies to list
• The future outlook for GCC IPOs

Email us: hassan@majlisandmarkets.com

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Intro theme song-Arab and Muslim by StockMusic via Pixabay

Chapters

• 0:44 Monologue intro
• 1:36 Beginning of discussion
• 2:07 Salmaan and Alex background
• 4:16 Day-to-day activities
• 10:24 Gulf corporate culture
• 18:55 Economic diversification and FDI
• 22:54 Investor relations development
• 25:25 Corporate governance
• 27:50 Reasons for family listing
• 34:02 Dual listings
• 37:09 Factors for IPOs in 2025
• 40:58 UAE stock market free float
• 43:27 Liquidity in regional shares
• 44:56 Transaction pipeline
• 50:01 Getting in touch; social media