Record year for Middle Eastern cross-border M&A
The region rose from 154.1 in the firm’s M&A index in Q4 of 2014 to 546.5 in Q4 of 2015, beating a previous record set in Q3 of 2012.
A total of 80 cross-regional M&A deals targeting the region were reported last year valued at $9.73bn, with three out of the top five in the United Arab Emirates. They were driven by investment from the United States, China and the Netherlands, with deals valued at $3.21bn, $1.75bn and $1.57bn from each respectively.
The top sector for inbound M&A was computer software, by both volume and value, with 23 deals worth over $2bn.
In contrast, deals fueled by the region totaled 105 globally with a value of $76.35bn. The majority targeted the US, with 21 deals valued at $44.73bn, followed by South Africa and Turkey by value at $11.37bn and $3.45bn and Spain and Turkey by volume at 11 each.
Pharmaceuticals was the top sector for outbound M&A from the region, with deals valued at $46.02bn, and the UAE drove two of the top five outbound deals.
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