16 July 2026
Arab heads of state signed the Damascus Declaration in 2007, a pledge “to take necessary measures and develop competent plans to enhance renewable energies in their countries’ energy portfolios.” Across the Middle East and North Africa today, it looks as if these promises are coming to fruition, with governments actively promoting the growth of the renewable energy sector.
Power developer Joule Africa and equity investor AIIM have joined to move into some of Africa’s underdeveloped markets.
Islamic finance has caught the interest of a number of African sovereigns in recent years. But on a local currency level, it has actually been around a while. Standard Bank’s global head of debt primary markets Megan McDonald, shares her insights with EMEA Finance.
Pan-African investment bank Ecobank appoints Ade Ayeyemi as its new CEO.
As well as having much of the risk drained out of it, the securitisation market is also growing again. Up to the end of May 2015, the volume of securitisation in EMEA was up 68% at US$24.7bn, the most active first quarter since 2007 when it hit US$150bn.
Egypt’s domestic capital markets have been experiencing something of a resurgence, particularly its stock exchange. Listings started to pick up last year when in May Arabian Cement Company (ACC) tested the market with a US$109mn IPO.
Last year saw the closing of the largest African-led transaction to take place in Central Africa. The leader of that deal, Ecobank Capital’s Mohamed El Fadel Kane, speaks to EMEA Finance about the deal and what’s in the pipeline for this year.
On June 5 Norway’s parliament approved a proposal that will see its gargantuan US$900bn Government Pension Fund Global divest stakes in mining companies that derive more than 30% of their revenues from coal and power companies that are more than 30% reliant on coal for generation.
Being a signatory to the UN Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) has become a badge of honour for many pension funds and asset managers.
