Merar - An Exhibitor at the Middle East Investment Summit

Merar was an exhibitor at the ‘Middle East Investment Summit’ that took place in the Ritz Carlton in Dubai on 30-31 March. The event took place in the heart of Dubai International Financial Center and US$3 trillion worth of capital was represented by attendees. A world-class content on investment strategies, global markets and key drivers shaping the world’s top performing and emerging funds were presented during the summit.

A key focus was put on the Middle East and Africa M&A market. It was highlighted that investors’ confidence is slowly returning to the region and a proof of that is the 22.2% increase in number of deals in MEA in February, compared to the previous month. Energy, Mining and Utilities sector has been the top performer in the region since 2011, in terms of highest deal value and it continues this trend in February again. In February alone, the sector had five deals valued at US$665.7m. Technology sector ranks the second with three deals totalling US$449.7m for February. Half of the regions deal value for 2015 so far, came from Israel and Nigeria. The two main groups in the M&A private market are: family businesses looking for investments outside the region, and private equity firms, looking for growth. According to The African Private Equity and Venture Capital Association, the outlook for private equity in Africa looks extremely positive for 2015. Private Equity investment is forecasted to grow towards the consumer sector as well as infrastructure, real estate and energy. Within the Middle East, Israel stands out with two thirds of the exits listed this month attributed to them.

Given the fall in oil prices, sovereign wealth funds could take advantage of the low oil prices and invest in international assets. Minority acquisitions are expected to be dominating, as the regional investors do not want to lose control of their business. The market is getting more and more mature and is shifting from being viewed as an exporter of capital, to be viewed as an importer of capital. The UAE has the largest number of inbound M&A transactions in the region, which demonstrates strong confidence of international investors in the UAE.

To support the growth in the region by facilitating international projects and M&A transactions, MERAR provides Virtual Data Room solutions, that ensure that the sharing and availability of information for projects and M&A, for dealing with global business partners or for regulatory & internal management, is done in a controlled environment, with complete security, audit and compliance.

About Middle East Investment Summit
The Middle East investment Summit is the longest running end-investor event in the region. The content covers investment strategies, global markets, trade & exchange platforms and provides an opportunity for investors to hear from innovative and top performing fund managers.

About Merar
Merar provides solutions for the trusted sharing and availability of information in a controlled environment, with full security and compliance. The company aims to make information relevant through structured disclosure, whilst at the same time ensuring regulatory compliance and security.