Goldman Sachs ranked first among financial advisers for mergers and acquisitions in the Middle East and Africa in the first half of 2026, leading by both deal value and number of transactions, according to GlobalData.
Figures from GlobalData’s Financial Deals Database showed the bank worked on three transactions with a combined value of $34.8bn.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Access deeper industry intelligence
Experience unmatched clarity with a single platform that combines unique data, AI, and human expertise.
KPMG placed second by value, with advisory roles on deals worth $7.5bn. It was followed by JPMorgan on $6.7bn, Morgan Stanley on $6.6bn and Guggenheim Partners on $6.2bn.
By deal count, KPMG shared the second position with three transactions, alongside Rothschild & Co on three. JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley each advised on two deals.
GlobalData lead analyst Aurojyoti Bose commented: “Goldman Sachs’ ranking by deal volume as well as value improved in H1 2026 compared to H1 2025, but the improvement was more prominent in terms of value. Its ranking by volume improved from seventh position in H1 2025 to the top position in H1 2026, while its ranking by value leaped from 12th position to the top spot.
“Involvement in the $33.4 billion deal for the acquisition of AES by a consortium of acquirers played a pivotal role in placing Goldman Sachs at the top position by value in H1 2026.”
GlobalData’s league tables are based on the real-time tracking of thousands of company websites, advisory firm websites and other reliable sources available on the secondary domain. A dedicated team of analysts monitors all these sources to gather in-depth details for each deal, including adviser names.
To ensure further robustness to the data, the company also seeks submissions of deals from leading advisers.
