| Kippreport.com

Mergers and acquisitions in the region down 50pc, says study

October 4, 2009 12:09 by Dana El Baltaji

The number of merger and acquisition (M&A) deals in the Middle East fell by over 50 percent during the third quarter of 2009 compared to the previous quarter, from 78 to 39, reported Arabian Business on Sunday, citing a study by Bureau van Dijk Electronic Publishing.

In the spite of the drop, however, the value of deals made in the third quarter quadrupled to $15.65 billion from $3.74 billion, exceeding 2008′s third quarter M&A deals total.

“Private equity investors shied away from Middle Eastern targets in the three months to September 2009 following limited activity in the region in the second quarter, when there were just four private equity-backed deals valued at a total of $30 million,” the publishing house said.

Tags: merger and acquisition deals, Middle East