• Institutional orders in the IPO included 54% from Saudi cooperates, 24.1% from Saudi funds and 10.5% from non-Saudi investors
• The subscription period for institutional investors remains open to Dec. 4

Frank Kane

DUBAI: Saudi Arabian and international investors have subscribed to the initial public offering of Saudi Aramco in huge numbers, with demand for shares in the world’s most profitable company exceeding the number of shares on offer.

Financial advisers to the biggest IPO in history announced that bids to the value of $44.3bn (166.275bn riyals) have been received in total from institutional and private investors for the $25.6bn worth of shares on offer.

With the order books open to institutions until next Wednesday, that means the IPO will definitely be the biggest in financial history, and should, in theory, lead to a jump in the share price when trading starts on Tadawul the following week.

Institutional demand for the shares even bigger than from private individuals. Corporates in the Kingdom account for more than half (54 percent) of the bid value, with Saudi funds and investment institutions comprising another big chunk (24.1 percent).

Non-Saudi investors are looking for 10 percent of the offer - a comparatively big figure given the fact the IPO was not marketed outside the region.

Rania Nashar, deputy chairman of Samba Capital, one of the advisers, said the IPO was “a source of pride” for the Kingdom.

“It is an indication of success and a signal of confidence, further bolstering the reputation and prestige of a company that has unrivaled standing globally in the energy sector. This success corroborates the foresight and depth of the strategic decision behind this landmark moment not just in Aramco’s history, but also in the development of the Kingdom’s economy,” she added.

Sarah Al Suhaimi, chief executive officer of NCB Capital and chair of the Tadawul where Aramco will be listed, said: “The success of the retail tranche is mirrored in the institutional tranche where bids reflect strong demand coming from across the spectrum of investor categories, reflective of Saudi Aramco’s compelling investment proposition.

“We are confident that this will be maintained throughout the remainder of the institutional book-building period. This institutional demand also speaks well of the depth and diversification of the Saudi capital markets and its investor base,” she added.