JEDDAH – ACWA Power International announced the closing of a private placement transaction of a new issue of around 89.5 million primary equity shares to Sanabil Direct Investment Company (Sanabil) which is owned by Saudi Arabian Investment Company subsequently owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) and Saudi Public Pension Agency (PPA). Sanabil and PPA will consequently own 13.72 percent and 5.71 percent equity stakes respectively and will each be entitled to a seat on the Board of Directors. Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Kharashi, Governor of PPA, said “PPA seeks attractive investments in successful National companies who demonstrate a long-term ability to generate sustainable returns. Based on the due diligence performed by PPA, ACWA Power has become successful, in record time, through management of its portfolio of assets which contains some of the Kingdom's largest water desalination and power generation plants in addition to its success in international markets in a short time period.” Also, ACWA Power has demonstrated its long-term vision by investing in renewable energy facilities such as its projects in Morocco, Bulgaria and South Africa. PPA has taken up a 5.71 percent share in ACWA Power's paid up capital. Ibrahim bin Muhammed Alromaih, CEO of Sanabil, said: “Sanabil's investment in ACWA Power is consistent with its strategy to invest in the growth of Saudi private companies that contribute to the local economy. With the constantly increasing demand for power and water in Saudi Arabia, ACWA Power plays an important role in helping our nation fulfill these critical needs. Through this investment, Sanabil is pleased to become a long-term partner of ACWA Power and to contribute to its long-term success and development.” Mohammad A. Abunayyan, Chairman of ACWA Power, said “we are pleased that Sanabil and PPA have joined ACWA Power as new investors. This will have a significant positive impact on the strength of the company's financial position and on its business by accelerating the execution of its strategic and expansion plans to become the prime international developer of power generation and water desalination plants both in Saudi Arabia and globally.” Paddy Padmanathan, President and CEO of ACWA Power, said “we are proud of the company's increasing contribution to the Saudi national economy. As a leader in the power and desalinated water industry, ACWA Power has been able to compete with well-established international companies operating in the field of power generation and water desalination for decades and has successfully won major local and international bids. Today, its portfolio of assets includes some of the world's largest plants in their respective categories such as Qurayyah IPP, Shuaibah IWPP in Saudi Arabia and Ouarzazate CSP IPP in Morocco. In each and every bid ACWA Power has won, it submitted a significantly lower tariff than the other competing bidders, thus delivering large savings to the local economy over the life of the respective purchase agreements.” Abunayyan added that “ACWA Power's track record of success would not have been achieved without the vision of the Saudi government under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, who has encouraged companies like ACWA Power to actively add value to the national economy and outreach for global successes. We are proud of our staff, who have proven their ability to successfully compete with, and fairly and squarely overcome their counterparts of companies with a long history of international experience. ACWA Power's experts have demonstrated their ability to deliver projects on time, and in some instances, a few months earlier than the contracted date.” From its humble beginnings in 2004 when it won Saudi Arabia's first IWPP project, ACWA Power has demonstrated consistently rapid growth. Today, ACWA Power has a diversified portfolio of 19 assets in 8 countries across 3 continents, with a contracted gross capacity of around 13,000 MW of power generation and 2.37 million cubic meters per day of desalinated water production, and a total investment in excess of $17 billion (SR63 billion). — SG
