International news reports have stated that the Saudi government is currently putting together contingency plans for a possible delay to the biggest IPO ever. The listing of 5 percent of Saudi Arabia’s crown jewel, the world’s largest oil company Saudi Aramco, could bring in around $300-$400 billion, based on a valuation of Aramco at between $1.5-2 trillion. The cash generated by the IPO has already been earmarked for the coffers of the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), to be used as financial support for Saudi Vision 2030, the economic diversification program proposed and pushed for by Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS). Doubts about the valuation have been strong, but a success story for this particular once-in-a-lifetime IPO is all but guaranteed. International interest is growing and media reports are stumbling over each other to assess, criticize or support the IPO strategy. Presently, international advisors and banks have already […]