The Prince Got His World-Beating IPO. Now The Hard Work Begins - Bloomberg

The Prince Got His World-Beating IPO. Now The Hard Work Begins - Bloomberg:

Saudi Aramco’s world-beating initial public offering is a watershed moment for a business that’s bankrolled the kingdom and its rulers for decades. The world’s largest public company will now trade in Riyadh and not New York.

Less clear is how far it will help overhaul the economy of the world’s biggest oil exporter.

First floated by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2016 with an ambition to raise as much as $100 billion, the share sale was touted as part of a blueprint for life after oil. Saudi Arabia would raise funds off its biggest asset, and use them to develop new industries.

But after global investors balked at hopes to value the company at $2 trillion, the final deal was not quite what the prince had envisaged. Aramco offered just 1.5% of its shares and opted for a local listing, relying almost entirely on Saudi and regional investors.