2016-07-20
The Capital Market Authority of Saudi Arabia issued these Instructions to regulate the book building process and allocation methods for Initial Public Offerings. The rules define eligible participating entities, establish bid limits and conflict of interest prohibitions, and mandate transparent price range announcements alongside flexible adjustments. Financial advisors determine subscription prices based on supply and demand within exchange tick size limits, while final share allocations are distributed to institutional funds and retail subscribers as specified in the prospectus.
KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA Capital Market Authority Instructions for Book Building Process and Allocation Method in Initial Public Offerings (IPOs)1 English Translation of the Official Arabic Text Issued by the Board of the Capital Market Authority Pursuant to its Resolution Number 2-94-2016 Dated 15/10/1437H Corresponding to 20/07/2016G Based on the Capital Market Law Issued by Royal Decree No M/30 dated 2/6/1424H Amended by the Board of the Capital Market Authority Resolution Number (1-103-2022) Dated 02/03/1444H Corresponding to 28/09/2022G Note: Arabic is the official language of the Capital Market Authority Important Notice: The current version of these Regulations, as may be amended, can be found at the Authority website: www.cma.org.sa
1 In accordance with the Board of the Authority Resolution no. (1-103-2022) Dated 2/3/1444H Corresponding to 28/9/2022G, these Instructions shall become effective as of 8/6/1444H Corresponding to 1/1/2023G, provided that the Instructions for Book Building Process and Allocation Method in Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) issued by the Board of the Authority Resolution no. (2-94-2016) Dated 15/10/1437H Corresponding to 20/7/2016G and amended by the Board of the Authority Resolution no (3-102-2019) Dated 18/1/1441H Corresponding to 17/9/2019G, shall continue to be effective until the effectiveness date of these Instructions.
2 Table of Contents Part 1: Preamble Part 2: Definitions Part 3: General Provisions Part 4: Requirements for Book building and Changing the Price Range Part 5: Participating Parties Part 6: Subscription Price Part 7: Shares Allocation for Participating Entities after Completing the Book Building Part 8: Offering for Retail Subscribers Part 9: Publication and Entry into Force
3 Part 1: Preamble
4 a) A director or an executive of any of the participating entities is a substantial shareholder in the issuer or any company that controls the issuer or any of the issuer's subsidiaries or vice versa. b) A participating entity is a substantial shareholder in the issuer or any of the issuer's subsidiaries or vice versa. c) Any of the persons, referred to in paragraph (a) and (b) above, is a director of the issuer or any of the issuer's subsidiaries. Book Building: The process by which a financial advisor registers bids from participating entities in order to determine the offering price. Book Building Period: A period determined by the financial advisor, after obtaining the consent of the issuer, without prejudice to paragraph (d) of Part (3) of these Instructions. It starts from the first day of the financial advisor offering the issuer's shares to the participating entities in accordance with paragraph (a) of Part (3) of these Instructions. Bidding Participation Application: The application submitted by the participating entities to the financial advisor of the issuer in order to participate in the book building process, and submitted to the financial advisor in a time no later than the last day of the book building period. Appended Bidding Application: The application submitted to the financial advisor of the issuer when the price range is changed, in accordance with paragraph (b) of Part (4) of these Instructions, in a time no later than the last day of the Book building period, and submitted by participating parties in order to participate in the book building or by the participating entities for the purpose of changing their requests concerning the price range. Participating Parties: Parties that are entitled to participate in the Book building process in accordance with Part (5) of these Instructions. Participating Entities: Entities involved in the Book building process from the specified parties in Part (5) of these Instructions. Tick Size: The minimum price increment and decrement allowed for share price as applied by the Saudi Stock Exchange Company. Part 3: General Provisions a) The financial advisor of the issuer is permitted – after obtaining the Authority's approval of the IPO – to offer the shares to the participating entities only during the book building period. b) The financial advisor, in coordination with the issuer, shall determine a percentage of the full offering to be allocated to institutional investors, and the financial advisor shall determine a percentage of it to be allocated to public funds, provided that the Authority approves such percentages; in the event that there is insufficient coverage from public funds for the
5 percentage allocated to them, the percentage allocated to them shall be reduced within the limits of what was covered by them. c) The issuer must sign an underwriting agreement before the beginning of the subscription process. d) The book building period shall not exceed (14) fourteen calendar days. e) The participating entities provide their bidding participation applications in the book building in the manner that the financial advisor of the issuer determines, provided that the financial advisor of the issuer and any other capital market institution that is associated with receiving bidding participation applications make the necessary arrangements and procedures to ensure documenting the bidding participation applications and verifying their validity, and verify the financial solvency of the participating entities and their ability to pay the value of the shares requested in the bidding participation application when allocated, before registering the bidding participation applications. f) The participating entities shall not submit a bid with an amount of (5%) or more of the issued securities of the issuer. g) The participating entities shall comply with the provisions of the Capital Market Law and its Implementing Regulations and any other investment conditions that regulate their business. h) Where a conflict of interest with the issuer exists, the conflicted participating entities are prohibited from participating in the book building. i) The participating entities may change or cancel their bids at any time during the book building period, provided that the change must be made by submitting an amended bidding participation application or an appended bidding application (as applicable). j) The Authority may waive any person subject to these Instructions from applying any of its provisions in whole or in part, upon his/her request or on its own initiative. Part 4: Requirements for Book building and Changing the Price Range a) During book building, the following requirements must be satisfied:
6 b) The financial advisor may, after obtaining the underwriter and the issuer’s consent, change the price range, with consideration to the following:
7 f. The public fund must disclose in the bidding participation application, the market capitalization of the investable universe of the public fund as of the end of the previous day of submitting the bidding participation application. 2) Authorised persons who are licensed to deal as a principle, in compliance with the Prudential Rules when submitting the bidding participation application. 3) Clients of a person authorised by the Authority to conduct managing activities provided that: a. The authorised person has been appointed on terms which enable it to make decisions concerning the acceptance of the participation in the offering and investing in the exchange on the client's behalf without reference to the client. b. The participation in book building shall be directed through the authorized person, and all related communication are made through the authorised person. 4) Any legal persons allowed to open an investment account in the Kingdom, and an account with the depositary center, including foreign legal persons who are allowed to invest in the market where the shares of the issuer are to be listed, with regards to the conditions of listing companies investments in listed securities stipulated in the Authority’s circular number (6/05158) dated 11/08/1435H corresponding to 09/06/2014G based on the Capital Market Authority's board resolution number (9-28-2014) dated 20/07/1435H corresponding to 19/05/2014G. 5) Government entities, any supranational authority recognized by the Authority, the Exchange, or any other stock exchange recognized by the Authority, or the Depositary Center. 6) Government-owned companies whether investing directly or through a portfolio manager. 7) GCC companies, and GCC funds if the terms and conditions of the fund permit that. b) The financial advisor may determine the parties that are entitled to participate in the book building process from the parties stipulated in paragraph (a) of this part, provided that public funds are among them. Part 6: Subscription Price The financial advisor in coordination with the issuer determines the subscription price according to the supply and demand, with consideration to the following:
8 Part 7: Shares Allocation for Participating Entities after Completing the Book building