Shuaa Capital buys out Dubai-based Stanford Marine Group's Dh1.13 billion debt

Dubai: Shuaa Capital on Sunday announced that it has successfully completed a debt buyout of Stanford Marine Group's (SMG) Dh1.13 billion ($308 million) facility, resulting in a successful outcome for all parties involved, including the participating banks.

SMG is one of the most prominent and diversified offshore services companies in the Middle East, with a focus on chartering, building and repairing offshore support vessels for the oil and gas industry.

Since 2019, Shuaa  Capital has been working with SMG's lending syndicate and their advisors to arrive at a buyout deal that met all parties' objectives. The restructuring strengthens SMG's liquidity position.

Following the debt buyout, SMG is poised for growth. The restructuring transaction has also helped save more than 1,800 jobs, and annual exports of close to $20 million worth of (Made in UAE) vessels made in the state-of-the-art Grandweld shipyard's facility in Dubai Maritime City.

"Despite the COVID-19 lockdowns last year, we continued to lead discussions with the SMG lenders' advisors and worked collaboratively to reflect the changing needs of the consortium while finding a viable solution that worked in the best interest of all parties involved," said Jassim Alseddiqi, CEO of Shuaa Capital.

This investment is part of the Private Markets activity of Shuaa Capital and is held as a co-investment vehicle. The investment is expected to generate management fee and performance fee income to SHUAA Capital, in addition to the investment return on its principal investment position.

"Shuaa Capital has managed to pull off a complex restructuring programme effectively giving the company a new lease of life. We are excited and hopeful of our future growth under the direction of a world-class management team and with the strong support of our employees and shareholders," said Elias Nassif, CEO of Standford Marine Group.