[Infographic] Middle East and Africa M&A Deals Drop 9.4% in 2014

The value of merger and acquisition (M&A) deals in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region fell to $57.9 billion in 2014, a drop of 9.4 percent on 2013.

Data released by Mergermarket still puts 2014 as the fourth-highest year since its records began in 2001, with Q4 acting as somewhat of a saviour, bringing in $22.5 billion, a year-on-year rise of 158.6 percent and 38.9 percent of the 12-month total.

Four transactions exceeded $2 billion in the final quarter, combining to represent nearly a quarter of the $57.9 billion.

The average price of an M&A deal dropped by almost 16 percent to $202.6 million – in 2013 this figure was $241 million.

Private equity was a key driver of activity, accounting for 10.5 percent compared with just 4.2 percent in 2013.

In terms of industries, the technology, media and telecommunications (TMT) sector saw 74 transactions in 2014 with a total value of $12.3 billion, accounting for 21.2 per cent of the region’s total.

See the infographic below to find out more. 

(Credit: Gulf News)