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KKR invests into ADNOC pipeline infrastructure for Middle East push

The global investment firm KKR announced on Wednesday that it had acquired a minority stake in the entity which leases Abu Dhabi National Oil Company’s gas pipeline assets. Financial details were not disclosed.

KKR will acquire the minority stake in ADNOC Gas Pipeline Assets via its managed accounts. The company stated that the long-term capital would match the type of investment and the tenure.

This transaction follows KKR’s investment in ADNOC’s oil pipeline system in 2019, a first by a foreign asset management company in Gulf energy infrastructure.

KKR, in partnership with BlackRock, divested this holding to Abu Dhabi's Lunate last year.

GULF COUNTRIES USE FOREIGN CAPITAL FOR INFRASTRUCTURE

ADNOC is the owner and operator of all pipelines.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain are all interested in such partnerships, which would allow them to tap into new sources of institutional capital while still maintaining operational control over their critical infrastructure.

In August, Saudi Aramco signed a $11 billion lease-and-leaseback agreement with Global Infrastructure Partners (part of BlackRock) for its Jafurah Gas Processing Facilities. Kuwait's oil company announced last month that it wanted to revive the project of leasing out and then leasing back its crude oil pipes.

KKR, a global infrastructure asset manager with over $90 billion, has appointed General David Petraeus to its Middle East Chairmanship earlier this year, as part of its efforts to expand its regional business.

The company bought a stake in Gulf Data Hub in Dubai, one of largest data centres in the region. KKR and this company committed to invest over $5 billion to expand data center capacity. Reporting by Rachna uppal. (Editing by Ronojoy Mazumdar, Mark Potter and Ronojoy Mazumdar)

(source: Reuters)