The Middle East & North Africa Project Finance Forum

Day 1, 21st March 2016

• Which markets in the region offer the greatest opportunities for 2016 and beyond?
• What developments are needed to reduce advisory times and encourage deal closure in the region? What has been holding deals back?
• Examining new prospects in nuclear power and waste water projects in the UAE

1. Jon Whiteaker, Editor, IJGlobal

• Has ACWA’s tariff pricing of Dubai’s first IPP set a precedent for solar photovoltaic (PV) projects in the GCC?  Will we continue to see low pricing of IPP deals?
• Can the local market alone support the financing of solar projects?
• What is holding back progress in renewable energy project developments in Saudi Arabia? Is there market appetite for utility-scale solar projects?

1. Dr. Raed Bkayrat, Vice President, Business Development, Middle East and Saudi Arabia, First Solar
2. Andreas Stoetzel, Chief Executive Officer, RWE Middle East
3. Alp Karli, Vice President – Investments, Adenium Energy Capital
4. Villiers Terblanche, Partner, Latham & Watkins
5. Moderator: Martin Nagell, Head of Asset Management, Masdar

• Successfully integrating private sector and sovereign interests and the implications for deal structures
• Structuring and execution: A success story for the IPP model in Dubai and lessons learned for future projects
• Assessing the increase in Expressions of Interest: Will phase III attract bids as competitive as phase II?

1. Atanu Das, Executive Director, Acquisitions & Project Finance, ACWA Power

• A closer look at government appetite for sovereign deals and the opportunities for project financing 
• Will a sustained period of low oil prices encourage the rebalance of debt pricing on project finance deals?
• Which project types are considered ‘essential infrastructure’? Will Middle Eastern governments become increasingly selective of which project finance deals are given the green light?

1. Brendan Cronin, Head of Management Consulting Middle East, Pöyry Capital
2. Simon Kitchen, Head of MENA Strategy, EFG Hermes
3. Karim Nassif, Associate Director, Infrastructure Finance, Standard & Poor’s
4. Moderator: Steven Perry, Global Head of Debt Markets & Syndications, First Gulf Bank
   

• Dubai’s new PPP law: Where do the opportunities lie for the market and for attracting foreign investment?
• What has held back the development of PPP deals so far? Will regional developments in PPP legislation help to facilitate infrastructure deals?
• Full or partial PPP? Exploring the opportunities of utilising PPP structures for elements of projects

1. Muneer Ferozie, Regional Head, Middle East & North Africa Region, PPPs and Privatization Financial Advisory, IFC
2. Olivier Crasson, Executive Vice President, Middle East, BESIX
3. Gaurav Bhatnagar, Managing Director, Head of Specialty MENA and Practice Leader Construction & Infrastructure MENA, Marsh
4. Edward Hills, Counsel, Latham & Watkins
5. Moderator: Jeronimo Roura, Chief Executive Officer, MENA Infrastructure

• Exploring Egypt’s infrastructure PPP boom and the bidding opportunities in 2016
• Overcoming the challenges of foreign currency deals in Egypt: Which projects will be guaranteed currency convertibility?
• Analysing Egypt’s need for unified investment legislation and the impact on debt and equity financing structures

1. Khaled El Degwy, Concessions Director, Orascom Construction
2. Lamya Abdel Hady, General Manager for Renewable IPP Projects, Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company
3. Mohy-Eldin Abdin, Executive Director & Group Chief Financial Officer, Hassan Allam Holding
4. Moderator: Abraham Akkawi, Partner & Head of Infrastructure Advisory, Ernst & Young

• A closer look at private equity fund investments in MENA despite declining income
• Which stages of the project life cycle are most attractive to infrastructure funds at present?
• Infrastructure fund constraints on long-term financing in the region

1. Osman Qureshi, Chief Financial Officer, Mubadala Infrastructure Partners

• Will we see local banks scaling back their spending and involvement in deals or will they look to the capital markets for funding?
• Analysing the impact of liquidity changes on local and international bank competition and pricing levels
• How do international banks view the risk profile of project financing in the GCC? How is their pricing stacked against this?

1. Peter Purkl, Director, KfW IPEX-Bank
2. Anand Bangur, Head of Structured Finance & Distribution, First Gulf Bank
3. Kamal Nazha, Vice President, Structured Finance, Infrastructure & Energy, Middle East & Africa, Deutsche Bank
4. Elyas Algaseer, Deputy Head of Middle East, Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi UFJ
5. Moderator: Muhammad Jawaad Chawla, Head of Wholesale Banking, Al Khaliji 

Day 2, 22nd March 2016

• Looking at new project opportunities in North Africa: Which markets will be the next to boom?
• Will international banks be willing to increase tenors to meet the needs of developers?
• Expanding the investment base: Strategies to attract Middle Eastern investors to projects in Africa

1. Thierry Déau, Founding Partner & Chief Executive Officer, Meridiam
2. Wiebke Schloemer, Head of the Infrastructure for Europe, Middle East and North Africa, IFC
3. Walid M. Hassouna, General Manager, Head of Structured Finance, Bank Audi
4. Moderator: Steve Barnes, Senior Director, Power & Advisory, Structured Finance Division, EMEA, Mizuho Bank

• Key project attributes that attract equity providers to RFPs
• Looking towards subsidiary financing in deals: How would this affect pricing?
• Bank loans, project financing and capital markets: How are developers looking at their funding mix given decreased government expenditure?

1. Rajiv Yadav, Corporate Strategy Director, ACWA Holdings
2. David Mizoule, Senior Manager - Project Finance & Bidding, Metito
3. Suresh Bhaskar, Chief Business Development Officer – Large Power, Gas & Infrastructure Projects, Engie
4. Craig Windram, Divisional Director, International Development, Abengoa Solar
5. Moderator: Jordan Bintcliffe, Reporter, IJGlobal

• Energy or infrastructure: Which project types have the greatest appeal for ECAs?
• Developments and innovations between ECAs and Islamic financing
• How can ECAs facilitate increased confidence from institutional investors in debt financing?

1. Nandita Parshad, Director, Head of Power & Energy Utilities, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
2. Moderator: Marco Ferioli, Head of Middle East & North Africa, SACE
3. Peter Purkl, Director, KfW IPEX-Bank 
4. Naoki Tamaki, Chief Representative for the Middle East, Japan Bank for International Cooperation
5. Ali Sherwani, Regional Head, MENA, Central Asia & Asia, International Business Development Division, UK Export Finance
6. Ulrich Schulte-Luenzum, Head of Department, Project Finance, Euler Hermes

• Broadening the investor base: Developing new Sukuk structures and aligning government, Islamic scholar and investor interests
• Analysing the relationship between conventional and Islamic financing in project financing

1. Bashar Al Natoor, Director, Global Head of Islamic Finance, Fitch Ratings

• Analysing the region’s appetite for alternative debt going forward
• Will institutional investors become involved in pre-construction financing?
• Are local pension funds and institutional investors looking to invest in infrastructure developments?

1. Anshul Rai, Chief Investment Officer, Axius Capital
2. Danielle Montgomery, Managing Director, Middle east & North Africa Office, Overseas Private Investment Corporation
3. Kamal Nazha, Vice President, Middle East & Africa, Infrastructure & Energy, Deutsche Bank
4. Moderator: Frank Beckers, Managing Director – Head of Project Finance Advisory, National Bank of Abu Dhabi