SHUAA Capital : advises Amanat on its acquisition of a strategic stake in Madaares

18 April 2016

SHUAA Capital advises Amanat on its acquisition of a strategic stake in Madaares

SHUAA Capital psc is pleased to announce that it acted as the sole buy-side financial advisor to Amanat Holdings PJSC on the acquisition of a 16.02% stake in Madaares PJSC, the parent company of Taaleem, the second largest education provider in the United Arab Emirates for AED 139.4 million. This transaction further strengthens SHUAA's leading franchise advising investors and corporations on mergers and acquisitions in the GCC region. The transaction also marks the continuation of SHUAA's strategic relationship with Amanat, following its role as an Offer Manager on the company's 2014 listing on the Dubai Financial Market, which raised AED 1.375bn.

Madaares is a Private Joint Stock Company established in the UAE for the development and management of high quality early childhood, primary and secondary schools and is the parent company of Taaleem. Taaleem has a diverse student base across a network of 11 schools and nurseries offering international curricula, with further expansion planned in 2016.

The acquisition represents a landmark investment in the GCC education sector, which has attracted considerable interest from regional and international investors. The sector is poised for strong growth, with governments and regulators actively encouraging long-term private sector investment by supporting initiatives aimed at bringing investors, operators and regulators together to further education reform and bridge supply gaps in the region.