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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

APICORP announces $500m in COVID-19 recovery support to member states

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MUSCAT: The Arab Petroleum Investments Corporation (APICORP), a multilateral development financial institution, announced on Wednesday that it has launched a $500 million countercyclical support package aimed at supporting its clients in member countries and the region in the energy sector mitigate the impact resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic as well as oil price fluctuations.


The $million package will be deployed to support sustainable impact-driven projects by extending funding for projects and working capital within the areas of utilities, renewables, petrochemicals, amongst other energy sub-sectors. APICORP will also expand its trade finance support to its member countries within the broader objective of reducing the fiscal and current account pressures caused by current market conditions.


APICORP was established in 1975 by an international treaty between the ten Arab oil exporting countries, including the Sultanate of Oman. It aims to support and foster the development of the Arab world’s energy sector and petroleum industries. APICORP makes equity investments and provides project finance, trade finance, advisory and research.


Dr Ahmed Ali Attiga, Chief Executive Officer of APICORP, said: “In these challenging times, and whilst our Member Countries are fighting the spread of COVID-19, and its spillover effects, APICORP is committed to fulfilling its development mandate. The energy sector is a capital-intensive sector where we are observing investment reductions and delays in implementation more than previous downturns. As a trusted financial partner, APICORP will play a countercyclical role to address the funding shortfalls that may occur to our partners in the region as they work to meet planned commitments in critical projects and operations.”


He added, “Support for the energy and related sectors, in our member countries and beyond, helps to guarantee energy security and access to finance in these times of crisis. We will be working with other multilateral development banks and financial partners to mobilize funding and mitigate the impact on these countries.”


APICORP, rated Aa2 with stable outlook by Moody’s, recently announced a landmark increase in callable capital to $8.5 billion, as well as a significant increase in authorized and subscribed capital. This increase further bolsters APICORP’s financial sustainability and resiliency.


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