Kuwait’s Burgan Bank has been allowed to issue up to $500 million senior unsecured bonds under its Euro Medium Term Note program.
In a statement on the Kuwait stock exchange on Wednesday, the bank, which is a subsidiary of Kuwait Projects Company Holding KSC, said it has received approval from the Central Bank of Kuwait to issue the bonds.
The bonds will have either a five-year tenor and a fixed coupon, or a six-year tenor with the option to redeem after five years where they will have a fixed coupon rate for the first five years of their tenor and a floating rate for their final year to maturity.
The bank added that the proceeds from the bond issuance will help it reinforce its long-term liquidity and regulatory liquidity ratios.
According to media reports, sales of senior bonds are relatively rare from the Gulf’s banks, but Burgan’s debt-raising plans follow the country’s biggest lender, the National Bank of Kuwait, securing $1 billion last week via six-year senior bonds non-callable for five years.
Burgan Bank raised $500 million in December with subordinated Tier 2 bonds. It also has $500 million in outstanding AT1 bonds with a first call date in 2024, reports said.
