12
April
2022

ADQ and Chimera Investments partner to launch UAE’s first SPAC on ADX

Highlights

  • ADC Acquisition Corporation PJSC (ADC) plans to raise AED 367 million through IPO
  • New Special Purpose Acquisition Company will aim to identify and acquire one or more high-growth, high potential businesses in the MENA region
  • Listing comes to ADX amid the exchange’s record-setting performance in the first quarter of 2022

NOT FOR PUBLICATION, DISTRIBUTION OR RELEASE, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, CANADA, JAPAN OR AUSTRALIA OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO SO MIGHT CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE RELEVANT LAWS OR REGULATIONS OF SUCH JURISDICTION

This announcement is not a prospectus and not an offer of securities for sale in any jurisdiction, including in or into the United States, Canada, Japan, the United Arab Emirates or Australia.

Neither this announcement nor anything contained herein shall form the basis of, or be relied upon in connection with, any offer or commitment whatsoever in any jurisdiction. Any offer to acquire shares pursuant to the potential offering will be made, and any investor should make its investment decision solely on the basis of the information that is contained in the prospectus which may be published by ADC Acquisition Corporation PJSC in due course in connection with the admission of its shares and warrants to trading on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange.

ADQ, an Abu Dhabi-based investment and holding company, and Chimera Investments, a leading Abu Dhabi-based private investment firm managing a diversified portfolio of listed and unlisted equities on both local and international markets, announced today they have established ADC Acquisition Corporation PJSC (ADC), the UAE’s first Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC).

ADC plans to raise AED 367 million through an Initial Public Offering (IPO) of 36.7 million shares at an offer price of AED 10.00 per share. Shares will be sold to qualified retail and professional investors in a public subscription in the UAE and listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX).

ADC was established by ADQ, through its Alpha Oryx special purpose vehicle, and Chimera Investments as a SPAC for the purpose of identifying and combining one or more businesses. In its search for acquisition opportunities, ADC intends to identify scalable businesses with strong management teams.

The launch of ADC will offer target businesses an opportunity to access capital in Abu Dhabi’s capital markets through a faster, less expensive alternative to the traditional IPO method. These companies will also benefit from access to the extensive, multi-sector expertise and combined network brought by ADQ and Chimera Investments.

ADC will be led by an accomplished board and management team with a strong reputation in the industry and a wide range of complementary knowledge and skills. H.E. Mohamed Hassan Alsuwaidi, Managing Director and CEO of ADQ, will be Chairman of ADC. Syed Basar Shueb, Chairman of Chimera Investments, will be Vice Chairman of ADC.

“We have partnered with Chimera Investments to launch ADC Acquisition Corporation, a SPAC aiming to target companies in the MENA region that are fast-growing, technology-driven businesses with strong management teams and attractive valuations."

H.E. Mohamed Hassan Alsuwaidi, Managing Director and CEO of ADQ and Chairman of ADC

“With the launch and listing of ADC, Chimera aims to capitalize on ADX’s newly-issued SPAC regulations, offering investors faster access to capital, higher transparency and lower fees."

Syed Basar Shueb, Chairman of Chimera Investments and Vice Chairman of ADC

ADX was the first market in the region to introduce comprehensive listing rules under the regulatory framework for SPACs, which was issued by the UAE’s Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) in February 2022.

The listing of ADC follows a strong performance for ADX in the first quarter of 2022, which was the biggest gainer of the regional stock exchanges. The exchange’s market capitalization reached approximately AED 1.9 trillion at the end of March 2022, up 117.1% from the end of March 2021. Liquidity also increased with total value of shares traded at 101.0 billion and total volume of shares traded at 15.6 billion shares, which grew by 87.4% and 49.7%, respectively, compared to the first quarter of 2021.

The listing is subject to market conditions and customary approvals.

About ADQ

Established in 2018, ADQ is an Abu Dhabi-based investment and holding company with a broad portfolio of major enterprises. Its investments span key sectors of the UAE’s diversified economy including energy and utilities, food and agriculture, healthcare and life sciences, and mobility and logistics, amongst others. As a strategic partner of Abu Dhabi’s government, ADQ is committed to accelerating the transformation of the Emirate into a globally competitive and knowledge-based economy.

For more information, visit adq.ae or write to media@adq.ae. You can also follow ADQ on X, Instagram and LinkedIn.

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