Saudi-based Vision Invest has invested $700 million in pan-African industrial developer ARISE Integrated Industrial Platforms (ARISE IIP), the company announced on Wednesday.
- Saudi-based Vision Invest has invested $700 million in ARISE Integrated Industrial Platforms (ARISE IIP).
- This transaction represents one of the largest private infrastructure deals in Africa.
- Vision Invest’s funds will support the development of sustainable and inclusive industrial ecosystems.
- Gulf nations, particularly Saudi Arabia, significantly increase their investments in Africa across various sectors, surpassing traditional global investors.
Saudi-based Vision Invest has invested $700 million in pan-African industrial developer ARISE Integrated Industrial Platforms (ARISE IIP), the company announced on Wednesday.
The deal, one of the largest private infrastructure transactions on the continent to date, combines both primary and secondary components, according to Dubai-headquartered ARISE IIP.
For Vision Invest, a major Saudi holding company, the move marks its first investment in Africa.
The funds will support the continued rollout of what ARISE describes as “green, inclusive, and sustainable industrial ecosystems,” with plans to accelerate expansion into new African markets while deepening its current footprint.
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ARISE has developed industrial parks in Gabon, Benin and Togo, helping lure factories to process wood, cotton, cashew, pharmaceuticals and meat.
Advisers on the transaction included Standard Chartered and Norton Rose Fulbright for ARISE IIP, while EFG Hermes and Linklaters advised Vision Invest.
Gulf capital rising in Africa
Gulf nations are stepping up their presence in Africa, channelling billions of dollars into renewable energy, logistics, technology, real estate, and agriculture.
Their pace of investment has begun to outshine traditional players like China and European countries when it comes to pledged foreign direct investment.
In May, Business Insider Africa reported that Middle Eastern countries had either expressed interest in or closed deals worth at least $6 billion in African energy assets within just a few weeks, an unmistakable sign of their rising appetite for the continent’s opportunities.
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Saudi Arabia has been at the forefront of this push. ACWA Power Co. and Red Sea Gateway Terminal, both backed by the kingdom’s $925 billion sovereign wealth fund, have invested in South Africa or are competing for assets there.
The United Arab Emirates has also made its mark, committing $1.4 billion to Zimbabwean projects.
The UAE is further deepening its footprint by joining efforts to co-finance the $25 billion Morocco-Nigeria gas pipeline project, aligning itself with U.S. interests in the ambitious venture.
