Overview

The last six months have seen continued speculation that the Middle East and wider international IPO market will reawaken in the near-to-medium term, despite a number of companies postponing their planned IPOs. When the curtain does eventually rise on the next IPO season, it will do so in a different environment from that of the mid-2000s, both in terms of regulatory considerations and, in the Middle East, in terms of the choice of regional exchanges on which to list.

This briefing by Latham & Watkins Corporate department is intended as an overview of both recent and upcoming changes that will be of interest to companies in the Middle East looking for a public listing of their securities, whether within that region, on the London markets or in the United States.

The briefing provides guidance on a range of issues, including:

• London Stock Exchange introduces “Premium” and “Standard” listing categories;
• Changes to the AIM rules;
• PLUS Markets: keen to do business in the Middle East;
• Middle East Market Merger: DFM and NASDAQ Dubai get close, as do Qatar Holding and NYSE Euronext; and
• Kuwait develops Corporate Exchange and Capital Market Authority

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