FAB gears up for landmark USD-AT1 issuance

First Abu Dhabi Bank has mandated a group of global and regional banks to arrange investor calls on Wednesday, 19 November, signalling the preparation of a benchmark USD-denominated Additional Tier 1 capital issuance. The Abu Dhabi-based lender, rated Aa3 by Moody’s and AA- by both S&P and Fitch, is targeting a fixed-rate, resettable perpetual instrument with a non-call six-year structure, expected to be rated Baa3 by Moody’s, subject to market conditions.

FAB has appointed Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Barclays, Emirates NBD Capital, itself, HSBC and Standard Chartered Bank as joint lead managers and bookrunners for the issuance, reflecting a strong syndicate backing. According to institutional-market briefings, the period of investor calls is intended to gauge pricing, demand, and issuance size ahead of launch.

This move marks FAB’s first benchmark AT1 issuance in approximately five years and comes as the bank seeks to bolster its capital buffer amid evolving regulatory expectations. Market-specialist commentary notes that such securities serve a dual purpose: providing permanent capital that counts towards Tier 1 regulatory ratios while offering issuers the flexibility of a call option after a set period — in this case six years — to redeem, subject to certain conditions.

FAB’s prior issuance of a senior green bond earlier this month — a €850 million deal priced at mid-swaps plus 70 basis points after opening at plus 100 basis points — underlined its readiness to access capital markets. That deal illustrated investor appetite for the bank’s funding instruments and the bank’s willingness to tap diverse instruments and jurisdictions. The proposed AT1 issuance broadens FAB’s capital-raising toolkit further.

In assigning an expected rating of Baa3 by Moody’s for the proposed issue, the bank is effectively targeting the lowest investment-grade category from that agency for this level of instrument. Such ratings reflect the subordinated nature of AT1 securities; they rank lower than senior debt in the creditor hierarchy and often incorporate features such as coupon discretion and loss-absorption mechanisms — factors that carry higher credit risk for investors compared to senior bonds.

Emerging-markets commentators note that demand for Gulf-region AT1 securities has been relatively scant over the past year as investors have weighed macro-economic headwinds, rising interest-rate environments and regulatory adjustments. The Gulf region’s total primary issuance of bonds and sukuk for the first quarter of the year was reported at USD 51.5 billion, down from USD 55.5 billion in the same period a year prior; within this, financial-institution capital instruments formed a subset of activity. Nevertheless, select banks continue to tap issuance windows that align with investor sentiment.

For FAB, the timing appears strategic: the bank’s common equity Tier 1 ratio stands at 13.7 per cent — a figure comfortably above its internal threshold of 13.5 per cent but lower than the 14.3 per cent recorded a year earlier. This suggests room for issuing capital-absorption securities like AT1 to reinforce buffers without triggering market concern. Regulatory changes also loom: UAE banks are due to face a 50-basis-point increase in the counter-cyclical buffer next year, which will raise total capital requirements and heighten the capital-management imperative.

Investor calls scheduled on 19 November are expected to cover structuring options, timing of launch, target size and investor syndication. Initial market commentary anticipates that FAB may aim for a headline size in the region of USD 750 million — consistent with its last AT1 benchmark in 2020 — although precise sizing will hinge on demand and market dynamics.

The joint bookrunners assemble a strong global footprint: Barclays, HSBC and Standard Chartered provide global investor access while Emirates NBD Capital and Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank offer regional distribution strength. That reflects FAB’s dual aim of tapping both GCC-based and international institutional investors. Market observers believe that if oversubscription builds, pricing could tighten relative to initial guidance and the syndicate may consider increasing sizing accordingly.