Saudi Aramco and SGX not quite an odd couple

THE bid by Singapore Exchange (SGX) for a piece of Saudi Aramco's planned initial public offering (IPO) may have seemed like a moon shot one year ago, but the shift in the global political winds over the past 12 months may have given its ambitions a boost.

As populism and anti-Muslim sentiment become burning issues in the United States and Europe, Singapore must seem like a bastion of political stability. For Saudi Aramco, which is Saudi Arabia's key national oil and gas company, being insulated from the fickleness of political storms should be worth something.

SGX has held discussions with Saudi Aramco, which is planning an IPO next year and is looking at the possibility of listing on more than one exchange.