Abu Dhabi – Mubasher: The UAE’s Ministry of Economy has forecast that the number of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) will increase in 2018 in the UAE, Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported, citing a new study by the ministry.
M&A deals are mostly expected to be carried out among medium-sized investment companies and institutions, the ministry report showed.
The UAE government encourages the establishment of larger-sized entities in all economic sectors, particularly the banking sector, the ministry highlighted, indicating the recent successes in M&A deals across the UAE.
The most recent major M&A deals include the merger between the National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD) and First Gulf Bank (FGB), which brought about First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB), whose combined assets amount to AED 655 billion.
The UAE is an attractive market for M&A deals particularly those in the banking, energy, technology, and programming sectors, the study indicated.
