Hikma, IFC sign $250mln deal, marking a 40-year partnership driving access to quality medicines in the MENA region

Zawya

7 days ago

Amman, Jordan - Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC (Hikma), a multinational pharmaceutical company, and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, have signed a $250 million six-year financing agreement focused on expanding access to medicines to support Hikma's operations across the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA), by strengthening local medicine production.
This financing builds on IFC's anchor role in Hikma's $500 million, five-year bond issuance, which included a $50 million subscription from IFC. The latest investments mark another milestone in a 40-year partnership and reaffirm IFC's commitment to supporting Hikma's mission of providing high-quality, affordable medicines across key MENA markets.
Over four decades, IFC has offered Hikma financing and advisory tailored to the company's growth trajectory and helping reinforce its operational resilience. In 2017, IFC extended a loan to facilitate Hikma's regional expansion and later, in 2020, provided a financing package that enabled the uninterrupted distribution of medicines across the MENA region during the COVID-19 pandemic.
'Our longstanding partnership with IFC has supported our expansion into new markets over the past four decades, most recently through the strategic $250 million loan and contribution to our $500 million bond issuance. This has allowed us to respond effectively to critical healthcare needs in the regional markets we serve.' said Mazen Darwazah, Hikma's Executive Vice Chairman and President of MENA. 'Our partnership transcends monetary transactions and reflects our long-term alignment and shared values on corporate governance and sustainability. Together, we have grown strategically while staying focused on what matters most; supporting our patients by addressing high unmet healthcare needs across the region.'
Hikma operates in over 50 countries across MENA, North America, and Europe, reporting revenues of over $3 billion in 2024. The company's growth has been driven by investments in local manufacturing and a series of strategic acquisitions and partnerships with multinational companies aimed at expanding access to high-quality medicines. Hikma has been listed on the London Stock Exchange since 2005 and was recognised in the FTSE4Good Index for ten consecutive years for its sustainability performance. In 2012, IFC honoured Hikma with its Client Leadership Award in recognition of its achievements in sustainability and corporate governance.
Khawaja Aftab Ahmed, IFC's Regional Director for the Middle East, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, added:
'IFC's 40-year partnership with Hikma continues to demonstrate what's possible when global development institutions and private sector leaders collaborate. Together, we've expanded access to high-quality medicines across emerging markets, enabling the company to grow into new territories and deliver critical medicine when it was needed most, including during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our recent engagements build on that strong foundation and open the door for even greater impact by supporting local medicine production and continued regional growth, despite ongoing conflict and uncertainty.'
The 40-year anniversary of our partnership was celebrated at Hikma's Amman headquarters on 14 July, with senior leaders and partners in attendance to honour their shared commitment to building stronger, more resilient health systems across the MENA region and beyond.
About Hikma
Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC (LSE: HIK) (NASDAQ Dubai: HIK) (OTC: HKMPY) (LEI:549300BNS685UXH4JI75)
(rated BBB/stable S&P and BBB/stable Fitch)
Hikma helps put better health within reach every day for millions of people around the world. For more than 45 years, we've been creating high-quality medicines and making them accessible to the people who need them. Headquartered in the UK, we are a global company with a local presence across North America, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and Europe, and we use our unique insight and expertise to transform cutting-edge science into innovative solutions that transform people's lives. We're committed to our customers, and the people they care for, and by thinking creatively and acting practically, we provide them with a broad range of branded and non-branded generic medicines. Together, our 9,500 colleagues are helping to shape a healthier world that enriches all our communities. We are a leading licensing partner, and through our venture capital arm, are helping bring innovative health technologies to people around the world.
About IFC
IFC — a member of the World Bank Group — is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets. We work in more than 100 countries, using our capital, expertise, and influence to create markets and opportunities in developing countries. In fiscal year 2024, IFC committed a record $56 billion to private companies and financial institutions in developing countries, leveraging private sector solutions and mobilizing private capital to create a world free of poverty on a livable planet.