Fintech PR

DFC Expands Global Impact With Record-Breaking Investments in Fiscal Year 2024

Published

5 hours ago

October 24, 2024

Total annual commitments more than doubled since agency’s launch five years ago
Driving global development with more than 180 strategic transactions

WASHINGTON, Oct. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation today announced that it committed a record $12 billion in investments in Fiscal Year 2024 to projects that are improving lives and promoting economic growth across the developing world by expanding access to food, energy, healthcare, critical infrastructure, and financial services.

In Fiscal Year 2024, DFC tackled some of the world’s greatest challenges by supporting transactions in 44 countries, with a total portfolio spanning over 110 countries across Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, Europe, and the Indo-Pacific. DFC’s new commitments are expected to finance 450,000 smallholder farmers, generate 4,600GWh of renewable energy, improve healthcare for more than 11 million patients, and fuel growth for 380,000 micro, small, and medium-sized businesses.

“Fiscal Year 2024 was a remarkable year for DFC, both in terms of volume of investment and our impact on some of the world’s most pressing challenges. In just five years since its creation, DFC’s private-sector-led approach has established DFC as a pivotal instrument in U.S. foreign policy and a key player in the development finance space,” said DFC CEO Scott Nathan. “The new investments made this year will provide badly needed financing to entrepreneurs and businesses, driving economic growth and stability in the countries where we work. I’m proud of the hard work and accomplishments of the DFC team to support development and bolster U.S. national security.”

In Fiscal Year 2024, DFC committed to over 180 transactions. Activity included:

Invested where American values and interests intersect. DFC’s dual focus on global development and American national security helps ensure its investments benefit both the United States and the host countries.

In Angola, DFC’s board approved a loan of up to $553 million to the Lobito Atlantic Railway to support the upgrade and rehabilitation of more than 800 miles of rail and a mineral port to help ensure the reliable transport of minerals that are critical to the clean energy transition. In a related transaction, DFC also committed a $3.4 million technical assistance grant to Pensana to conduct feasibility studies to advance development of a rare earth mine and refining facility in the Lobito Corridor.
In Indonesia, an up to $126 million DFC loan to PT Medco Cahaya Geothermal will finance the development of approximately 31.4MW of geothermal power generation capacity in East Java.
In South Africa, a $50 million equity investment in TechMet will support the development of the Phalaborwa Rare Earths project, a rare earth element processing facility that will develop a more diverse, resilient, and sustainable critical mineral supply chain, drive the clean energy transition, and create economic opportunity for local communities.

Provided critical support to the people and businesses impacted by the war in Ukraine. DFC continued its support for Ukraine, committing more than $580 million to a wide range of sectors crucial to the country’s recovery and stability amid the conflict. This included one of its signature tools to address the most urgent Ukrainian economic needs and lay a foundation for long-term resilience: political risk insurance.

$10 million in political risk insurance will support the rebuilding of a water treatment and water filtration equipment manufacturing facility destroyed during Russia’s invasion.
$50 million in political risk insurance will support a reinsurance facility brokered by Aon and distributed by ARX to build a portfolio of war risk insurance policies for companies operating in Ukraine and to support ARX in expanding its war risk insurance offering in the country.
$150 million in political risk insurance will help maintain the country’s agriculture operations and alleviate food insecurity.

Strengthened global supply chains. DFC invested in infrastructure to bolster access to essential goods and services including food, energy, healthcare, technology, and critical minerals.

In South Africa, a €110 million DFC loan will help Aspen Pharmacare expand its capacity to deliver medicines, diabetes insulin, and pediatric vaccines, increasing local access to life-saving medicines and vaccines across Africa.
In Zambia, a $10 million loan to Seba Foods Zambia Ltd. will support the expansion of the company’s storage and production capacity and provide affordable, soy-based consumer food products, strengthening the food value chain in Zambia.
In Türkiye, a $350 million loan to Enerjisa Enerji Üretim A.Ş. will finance the development, construction, and operation of nine onshore wind power plants in Western Türkiye that are expected to generate approximately 2.51 terawatt-hours per year.

Advanced high-standard, transparent investing to achieve sustained impact. DFC adheres to the highest standards on worker rights and the environment and works to ensure its investments deliver a sustained positive impact.

In India, DFC committed a $10 million loan to Nepra Resource Management for construction of material recovery facilities for the recycling and sustainable disposal of material waste that will reduce waste in landfills.
Across Africa, a $250 million tier 2 capital loan to Africa Finance Corporation will strengthen the capital position of a key pan-African multilateral development finance institution to support its operating activities, including investment activities consisting of infrastructure projects critical to economic growth and development.
In the Western Hemisphere, a $50 million equity investment in PI Fund V (Ontario), L.P. will increase investments in Latin American infrastructure and address financing gaps to develop critical projects, with a primary focus on Brazil, Colombia, Peru, and Mexico.

Supported the world’s low-income countries and underserved communities. DFC focuses a majority of its transactions in low- and lower-middle-income countries and prioritizes investments that benefit women and other underserved populations.

In India, a $50 million loan to InCred Financial Services Ltd. will support lending to women and women-owned businesses using a technology-enabled lending approach designed to expand access to underserved entrepreneurs and individuals.
In the Dominican Republic, where nearly one quarter of the population lives below the poverty line, DFC committed $200 million in financing to Banco Popular Dominicano, S.A. to support lending to small businesses, with a focus on women entrepreneurs.
In the Philippines, DFC committed a $20 million loan to Lhoopa Singapore Pte. Ltd. that will support a digital platform focused on the development of affordable housing for low-income families throughout the country.

Learn more about DFC’s record-breaking year.

The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) partners with the private sector to finance solutions to the most critical challenges facing the developing world today. We invest across sectors including energy, healthcare, infrastructure, agriculture, and small business and financial services. DFC investments adhere to high standards and respect the environment, human rights, and worker rights.

Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2514418/DFC_Horizontal_Logo.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/dfc-expands-global-impact-with-record-breaking-investments-in-fiscal-year-2024-302286349.html

Fintech PR

Bahrain Set to Host Second Edition of Gateway Gulf in November

Published

47 mins ago

October 24, 2024

CISION (PR Newswire)

bahrain-set-to-host-second-edition-of-gateway-gulf-in-november

Unveiling the theme ‘Investing in a Rapidly Transforming Region’- the invitation-only forum is set to welcome ministerial and business leaders from across the most powerful economies in the world

MANAMA, Bahrain, Oct. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Bahrain is gearing up to host the second edition of Gateway Gulf, which is scheduled for November 3 and November 4, 2024, at the Four Seasons Hotel, Bahrain Bay. Held under the timely and relevant theme of ‘Investing in a Rapidly Transforming Region,’ the second edition of the forum is set to welcome an intimate, high-level gathering of the top 250 ministerial and senior-government officials, C-level business professionals, and executive investors from leading markets across America, Europe, Asia, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and beyond.

Hosted by the Bahrain Economic Development Board (Bahrain EDB) with the support of senior government officials across the Kingdom’s finance, investment and industry portfolio, the invitation-only forum will serve as a platform that encourages open dialogue, sustained economic growth, knowledge progression, and international economic integration. Featuring forward-looking plenary sessions and audience-tailored workshops, as well as a highly personalised agenda complete with private meetings, project site visits, and cultural experiences, Gateway Gulf 2024 will push the boundaries of business-as-usual, facilitating mutually beneficial and tangible investment opportunities. Attendees can expect to discover awakening insightful deliberations on how global trends are playing out in the region, how best to tackle universal concerns, and untapped opportunities that lie ahead.

In addition to highlighting key investment opportunities across the island nation’s priority sectors, discussions at Gateway Gulf 2024 will revolve around the growing collaborative ties unifying the region, underscoring how co-investments can facilitate a more prosperous and sustainable future. In an era that is increasingly witnessing the defragmentation of supply chains, the forum will lay the groundwork for bridging a fractured world, shedding light on the achievements of the region in delivering action-oriented solutions for a brighter future.

Ushering in a new spirit of partnership, Gateway Gulf will host focused roundtables on the sidelines of the forum to ignite engaging and data-fueled discussions to address global challenges and maintaining prosperity across prime industry sectors. Moreover, the curated Majlis-inspired sessions will pair high-ranking ministers with C-suite experts from the private sector on the most pressing issues facing the region.

The GCC countries represent one of the greatest development success stories of the century. As the region continues to secure impressive strides towards ambitious economic diversification targets, numerous attractive investment opportunities emerge. With a view to revealing actionable insights and fostering collaboration, Gateway Gulf will feature a central exhibition space that will showcase large scale projects, where a flurry of greenfield milestone investments is expected to be announced during the highly anticipated forum.

The Gulf economies are projected to grow by 3.5% in 2024 to a combined total of about USD 2.1 trillion and expected to reach USD 2.8 trillion by 2030, according to the International Monetary Fund. With the non-oil sector contribution to GDP standing at 84% in 2023, Bahrain has earned its position as the most diversified economy in the Gulf. To maintain its positive trajectory of economic growth, the future-ready island nation has prioritized investing in the development of high-value sectors, its diverse human capital, digital transformation initiatives, and key infrastructure projects.

Contact:

Yehia Issa
[email protected]
+971 55 267 0405

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2540135/Bahrain.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/bahrain-set-to-host-second-edition-of-gateway-gulf-in-november-302286616.html

Fintech PR

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources Invites Mining Companies to Join Its 7th Licensing Round

Published

3 hours ago

October 24, 2024

CISION (PR Newswire)

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Oct. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources (MIM) is inviting exploration and mining companies to participate in its 7th round of exploration licensing. The licensing round, consisting of 7 sites with a total area of more than 1070 sq. km, will be open for bidding from mid Of October, with Successful bidders set to be announced in December.

The sites up for auction include;

Wadi al Lith: covers an area of 243.87 km2 and is located within the Mecca Region, 200 km from Jeddah. Commodities on the site include Cu, Au, and Zn.
Jabal Baudan: covers an area of 244.92 km2 and is approximately 200km south of Jeddah. The site contains commodities like Cu, Au, and Zn.
Jabal Sabha: covers an area of 171.5 km² in the central part of Saudi Arabia, approximately 650km from the Jeddah port. Commodities include Ag/Pb/Zn (Nb, Au, Co).
Jabal al Ad Dimah: covering an area of 210.90 km2, is located approximately 200km south of Jeddah. It contains deposits of Cu, Au, and Zn.
Jabal al Klah North: is part of the Ad Dawadimi Terrane located in the eastern part of the Arabian Shield, 750 km northeast of Jeddah and 320 km from Riyadh. It covers an area of 98,15 km2 and contains large deposits of Ag, Pb, and Zn.
Jabal al Klah South: covers an area of 19,21 km2. The site is part of Ad Dawadimi Terrane, located in the eastern part of the Arabian Shield, 750 km northeast of Jeddah and 320 km from Riyadh. Commodities include Ag, Pb, and Zn.
Umm Hijlan (Mamilah): covers an area of 78.4 km².The site is located in Mecca region, approximately 270km from the Jeddah port. Commodities include Au,Pb and Cu

Interested investors are invited to view the Information Memorandum by visiting Ta’adeen website at https://taadeen.sa/en/mining-bids to access the data room for the sites.

Saudi Arabia offers several competitive incentives to support investors across various sectors and industries. These include 75% co-funding for capital expenditure (CAPEX), a five-year exemption on royalty fees, discounts of up to 30% for local downstream processing (with potential savings of up to 90%), a competitive 20% corporate tax rate, and the advantage of 100% foreign direct ownership.

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2540025/Saudi_Ministry_of_Industry_and_Mineral_Resources_Logo.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/saudi-arabias-ministry-of-industry-and-mineral-resources-invites-mining-companies-to-join-its-7th-licensing-round-302286482.html

Fintech PR

Kindred Group applies for delisting

Published

4 hours ago

October 24, 2024

CISION (PR Newswire)

SLIEMA, Malta, Oct. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — La Française des Jeux SA’s (“FDJ”) recommended public offer to the holders of Swedish Depository Receipts (the “SDRs”) in Kindred Group plc (“Kindred” or the “Company”) to tender all their SDRs in the Company at a price of SEK 130 in cash per SDR (the “Offer”) was declared unconditional on 3 October 2024. After the end of the extended acceptance period, FDJ controls in total approximately 98.60 percent of the outstanding SDRs in the Company. Against this background, the board of directors of Kindred has today applied for delisting of the SDRs in Kindred from Nasdaq Stockholm.

On 22 January 2024, FDJ announced a recommended public cash offer to the holders of SDRs in Kindred to tender all their SDRs in the Company at a price of SEK 130 in cash per SDR. On 3 October 2024, FDJ announced that the Offer had been accepted to such an extent, as at the end of the initial acceptance period on 2 October 2024, that FDJ would become the owner of 90.66 percent of all the outstanding SDRs in Kindred and declared the Offer unconditional. Since the time of announcement of the Offer, FDJ had also acquired an additional 2,400,000 SDRs, corresponding to approximately 1.11 percent of the outstanding SDRs in Kindred, from Veralda at a price not exceeding the price in the Offer. As a result, FDJ controlled in total 198,059,291 SDRs, corresponding to approximately 91.77 percent of the outstanding SDRs in the Company.^[1]

In order to provide the remaining holders of SDRs in the Company with the opportunity to accept the Offer, FDJ extended the acceptance period of the Offer until and including 18 October 2024. During the extended acceptance period, the Offer has been accepted by SDR holders with a total of 14,734,917 SDRs, corresponding to approximately 6.83 percent of the outstanding SDRs in the Company. After the end of the extended acceptance period, FDJ thus controls in total 212,794,208 SDRs, corresponding to approximately 98.60 percent of the outstanding SDRs in the Company. FDJ has on 23 October 2024 initiated squeeze-out proceedings of the SDRs in Kindred not held by FDJ, and requested that the board of directors of Kindred applies for delisting of the SDRs in the Company from Nasdaq Stockholm.

In light of the above, the board of directors of Kindred has today, in accordance with FDJ’s request, applied for delisting of the SDRs in the Company from Nasdaq Stockholm. Kindred will announce the last day of trading as soon as Nasdaq Stockholm has confirmed the date to the Company.

For more information:
Patrick Kortman, Interim CFO
[email protected]

The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out above, at 17:55 (CET) on October 24, 2024.

About Kindred Group

Kindred Group is one of the world’s leading online gambling operators with business across Europe and Australia, offering over 30 million customers across 9 brands a great form of entertainment in a safe, fair and sustainable environment. The company, which employs approximately 2,500 people, is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm Large Cap and is a member of the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) and founding member of IBIA (International Betting Integrity Association). Kindred Group is audited and certified by eCOGRA for compliance with the 2014 EU Recommendation on Consumer Protection and Responsible Gambling (2014/478/EU). As of 11 October 2024, La Francaise des Jeux is the majority shareholder in Kindred Group plc. Read more on www.kindredgroup.com.

Nasdaq Stockholm, KIND-SDB

^[1] Based on 215,823,068 outstanding SDRs in Kindred, which excludes 14,303,068 treasury SDRs held by Kindred. Each SDR carries one vote.

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/kindred-group/r/kindred-group-applies-for-delisting,c4055941

The following files are available for download:

https://mb.cision.com/Main/824/4055941/3074289.pdf

Project Odin – Application for delisting Final

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/kindred-group-applies-for-delisting-302286421.html