Dubai’s biggest bank Emirates NBD plans $1.76bn rights share sale

Dubai’s biggest bank is seeking to raise Dhs6.45bn ($1.76bn) from a rights share offering as it expands abroad and courts more foreigners to its stock.

The state-controlled Emirates NBD plans to offer 758.8 million shares at Dhs8.5 each, it said in a statement. That compares with its closing price of Dhs13.15 on Oct. 16 and represents a discount of about 35 per cent. The issue opens Nov. 10 and will close Nov. 20.

Emirates NBD last year proposed selling new shares to help fund the acquisition of Turkey’s Denizbank AS. The lender plans to use the proceeds of the sale to strengthen its capital base and support growth, according to Thursday’s statement.

Lenders in the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council are trying to broaden the base of their investors as a combination of low oil prices, slowing economic growth and geopolitical upheavals drain inflows.

Emirates NBD last month raised the cap on foreign ownership holding in its shares to 20 per cent from 5 per cent, with plans to seek shareholders’ approval to double the new limit. It also raised raised 305m pounds ($373m) from the sale of a stake in London-listed Network International Holdings Plc.

Citigroup Inc., Morgan Stanley and ENBD Capital are managing the rights share offering.