Robin Balmer

Project Finance

• Lenders on the financing for the approximately US$941 million financing of the Fujairah F3 Independent Power Producer (IPP) project in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). (IFN Project Team of the year 2021).
•  Lender’s counsel on the Shuaibah- 3 Second Water Expansion Project comprising the construction and operation of a 25,000m3/day seawater desalination expansion to an existing independent power and water producer (IWPP) plant near Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.
• Arrangers on a US$2 billion Murabaha facility for Al Rajhi Bank.

Real estate finance

• Haradh and Wudayhi residential compounds and industrial facilities – advising El Seif Group in relation to the bid for the financing, development, construction, ownership, operation, maintenance, insurance and transfer of two residential compounds and industrial facilities for Aramco.
• Al Rajhi Bank and Alinma Bank in relation to the SAR6 billion multi tranche syndicated murabaha facilities of the Clock Towers hotel, and retail real estate development in Makkah.
• A syndicate of banks in Saudi Arabia including Al Rajhi Bank, Bank AlJazira, Bank Al Bilad, The National Commercial Bank, The Saudi British Bank and Saudi Hollandi Bank in relation to a SAR5 billion multi-tranche financing based on wakala and procurement structures with integrated forward lease (ijara) financing components for a mixed use hotel, retail and residential construction project at Jabal Omar in Makkah.

Asset Finance

• Standard Chartered Bank as agent for a syndicate of financiers including Standard Chartered Bank, National Bank of Abu Dhabi, Bank Al Bilad and Arab National Bank in relation to the murabaha financing of 5 new build VLCCs for The National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia (Bahri).
• Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ on a US$125 million murabaha refinancing of two VLCCs and Standard Chartered Bank as lead arranger on a US$350 million murabaha financing of five new build VLCCs.

ESG Finance

• The Arab Petroleum Investments Corporation (APICORP) on the MENA region’s first Islamic facility for voluntary carbon offsets.
• HSBC Bank Middle East Limited, HSBC Saudi Arabia and 10 other financial institutions, as mandated lead arrangers, on a US$1.1bn, sustainability-linked, dual-tranche murabaha financing to Ahli United Bank in Bahrain.
• HSBC Bank Middle East Limited and SMBC as mandated lead arrangers on a US$1.16bn dual tranche sustainability linked murabaha financing to Al Rajhi Bank.