Omar El Sayed

Omar El Sayed

Banking & Finance Partner, Riyadh

“I have been based in the Middle East for over a decade, located between the UAE and Saudi Arabia and seek to bring together international expertise with the unique dynamics of the Middle East region to solve clients’ requirements in an efficient and commercially coherent manner.”

Overview

Professional experience

Education and qualifications

Overview

Omar has extensive English and Arabic transactional experience from London, Dubai and Saudi Arabia representing lenders, including both international and domestic banks, and borrowers on all areas of bank lending. He has a particular focus on syndicated loans and Islamic financings in the Gulf region, as well as experience in acquisition financings, margin loans, private equity financings, real estate financings, regulatory capital financings and the financial restructuring of government and corporate entity assets within the Middle East and Europe.

Omar’s expertise spans a range of sectors, including power, oil and gas, real estate and fintech.

Omar is based in Riyadh and also heads up the firm’s Egypt desk.

Work highlights

Omar has led, or been a key adviser, on many of the region’s most significant finance transactions. These include advising:

  • the arrangers in relation to a US$16bn dual conventional and Islamic financing for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
  • Saudi Electricity Company on its US$2.15bn conventional syndicated financing
  • GEMS MENASA (Cayman), as borrower, on a US$1.25bn conventional and Islamic financing and subsequent US$1.8bn term loan b financing
  • Al Ahli REIT (listed on the Tadawul) on its debut SAR600m Ijara financing
  • Alinma Bank on over SAR1bn of Ijara financing to an Egyptian oil services company
  • Samba Bank on a debut financing for Global Data Hub
  • on the US$1.5bn conventional and Islamic syndicated facilities to the Jumeirah Group
  • on the US$6bn conventional and Islamic facilities to Equate Petrochemical Company
  • on the US$1.1bn conventional and Islamic facilities in favour of Port & Free Zone World
  • Emirates and Burgan Bank on a US$142m financing for City Land Real Estate Development
  • the lenders on a US$1.85bn conventional syndicated facility in favour of Oman Oil Company
  • the lead arrangers on a AED4.4bn secured Islamic facility ranking pari passu with a sukuk in favour of Jebel Ali Free Zone
  • on the US$3.1bn syndicated conventional and Islamic facility in favour of Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (TAQA)

 

Professional experience

Omar speaks regularly at Loan Market Association (LMA) events in the Middle East.

Education and qualifications

Omar studied law at University College London.

He speaks English and Arabic.