CME Group, one of the world's leading derivatives marketplace, and Oman Investment Fund have announced plans to increased their stake in the Dubai Mercantile Exchange (DME), which trades the Oman oil futures contract.

Announcing this on Tuesday, Oman Investment Fund, a sovereign wealth fund of the Sultanate, said the partnership with CME will build on volume growth with increased investment and support.

As part of the restructuring of the DME's equity shareholding, a recapitalization arrangement will increase the stake in DME held by CME Group's Nymex division from 25 per cent to 50 per cent.

Under this arrangement, Oman fund will boost its holding in DME to 29 per cent; a unit of Dubai Holding will retain 9 per cent; and 12 per cent will be held on a non-voting basis by strategic investors, including Vitol, Shell, JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs and Concord Energy.

Commenting on the move, Bryan Durkin, CME Group chief operating officer and managing director, Products and Services, said: 'The deepening of our relationship with DME further serves our strategy of providing risk managers and investors with access to key benchmark products via our global distribution networks.'

'By committing CME Group's resources and know-how to DME's increasingly well-received product set, participants in the Middle East and Asia will be able to access transparent pricing and risk management products as global energy markets focus ever further eastward,' he noted.

Hassan Al Nabhani, CEO of Oman Investment Fund, said DME's development into a prominent venue for price discovery will prove to be of significant strategic and financial value for the oil markets.

'The exchange continues to attract customers from among the key participants in the global energy industry.  Our long-standing partnership with CME Group, the world's leading derivatives marketplace, is building the platform for the next phase in DME's development,' he stated.

Dubai Holding CEO Ahmad Bin Byat said: 'Our partners' increased investment in the DME is a vote of confidence in the future growth of the exchange. Today's announcement marks a new phase and we look forward to building on the real progress which has been made to date.'

An elated DME chairman Ahmad Sharaf welcomed the continued commitment of its partners.

'With liquidity in the flagship Oman crude oil futures contract steadily growing and physical delivery reaching new heights in 2011, this recapitalization positions the DME to enter the next phase of development for existing and future customers seeking to manage price risk for crude oil markets East of Suez,' he said.

To build on the success of the partnership to date, the new arrangement puts a robust plan in place to grow the business and ensure that it continues to deliver value to its customers and investors, he noted.

'With the injection of new funds, the DME will retain its independence while benefiting from technology updates, product development support, technical services and CME Group's skills and expertise in developing global markets,' Sharaf added.-TradeArabia News Service