Regional Update MEDITERRANEAN/MIDDLE EAST/NORTH AFRICA Abu Dhabi’s state owned ADQ (formerly Abu Dhabi Development Holdings) has purchased a 45 percent stake in Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC). The actual purchase price has not been disclosed. LDC has 18,000 employees and 2019 turnover of $34 billion. ADQ has increased its focus on food security and logistics since the start of COVID-19. Comments in the trade say that this will make LDC into more of an “integrated food business” rather than being “mainly trading focused” Saudi Arabia is moving closer and closer to putting grain imports in private sector hands. According to the Saudi Press Agency “private entities have been assigned the process...
Weighing in on strategic realignment
WPI’s team was retained by the governing board of a U.S. industry organization to review a decision, reached by vote, to invest significant assets into the development and management of an export trading company. WPI’s team conducted a formal review of this decision and concluded that the current level of market saturation would limit the benefits of the investment. Based on WPI’s analysis and recommended actions, the board subsequently reversed its decision and undertook a strategic planning effort to identify more impactful investments. On behalf of numerous clients, WPI has not only assisted in identifying strategic paths but also advised their implementation.
Key Market Insights The broad market is locked in on this week’s Trump-Xi meeting in Beijing, but this is no longer just a trade summit. Increasingly, the meeting is becoming tied directly to Iran, energy security, and the growing global economic fallout from disruptions through the Strai...