Saudi Arabia's Tadawul to buy 32.6% stake in Dubai Mercantile Exchange

Stock exchange owner and operator Saudi Tadawul Group  will buy a 32.6% stake in the parent company of Dubai Mercantile Exchange (DME) and become the Emirati trading platform's joint largest shareholder, it said on Thursday.

Founded in 2007, DME lists the Oman crude oil futures contract, which is a physically settled contract serving as a Middle East benchmark used by the region's national oil companies as part of their export pricing formulas.

Tadawul will acquire a mix of new and existing shares in DME Holdings for $28.5 million in return for its 32.6% stake, with an option to increase the shareholding.

Under the deal, the Saudi stock exchange owner will become the joint largest shareholder alongside CME Group, "with other shareholders including the Oman Investment Authority and Dubai Holding as well as global financial and commercial industry leaders", it said.

Tadawul said that "no Saudi Arabian crude oil contract will be traded, sold or bought on, or indexed to, nor will Saudi crude be delivered against" DME's Oman contract to avoid conflict of interest.

Following the closing of the deal, DME will continue to operate from its headquarters in the Dubai International Financial Centre and will remain regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority, according to the statement.