At the heart of any organization on a growth trajectory, or a stressed business in an amend and extend situation, or a business in distress, lies effective capital structuring. This is heavy reliant depends on raising the right capital at the right cost, addressing asset liability mismatch, and structuring the balance sheet with the right mix of debt and equity to ensure sustainable long-term growth.
As MENA conglomerates, government backed holding companies and family businesses rapidly expand into new markets or acquire new businesses, the driver for success in the long-term comes down to a healthy, sound balance sheet. Many finance teams in the region still work with one kind of debt, the commercial bank loan or less frequently access corporate sukuks, while the lesser tapped equity markets remain confined to the familiar two – private and public equity. As companies grow and take on more debt or look for refinancing options, numerous central tenants get overlooked – the wrong type of leverage, high borrowing costs, an impaired assessment on the return on capital, and a balance sheet overridden with debt versus equity, all of which can rapidly reverse the growth trajectory to situations of distress.
The Capital Structuring MENA Conference, taking place on 22 – 23 March 2027 in Abu Dhabi, will bring together the C-suite executive from MENA’s conglomerates, government holding companies, family offices, private equity firms, banks, private credits, investors, advisories and regulators. The focus is practical: how do you design the right mix of debt, equity and alternative capital, how do you manage leverage, liquidity and refinancing risk, and how to recalibrate the balance sheet at each stage of the business cycle. Through case studies, candid boardroom discussions and targeted networking, the conference will create a meeting point for large corporates, capital and expertise across the region.
Key Objectives
Put capital structure on the board agenda
Treat the balance sheet as a recurring strategic decision that changes with the business, rather than a one-off financing event.
Widen the capital toolkit
Show how preferred equity, mezzanine, convertibles, private credit, sukuk, hybrid capital, dual listings can sit alongside bank debt and plain equity.
Connect companies with capital
Bring the C-suite, finance leaders and strategy team face to face with banks, private equity, funds, investors including bond and sukuk investors.
Act before stress becomes distress
Explore refinancing, amend and extend and out of court solutions that protect value while the business is still strong.
Clarify the rules
Unpack how regulations on listing and delisting, preferred shares, debt issuance in the UAE and Saudi Arabia shapes capital options for companies.
