Fertiglobe, the world’s largest seaborne exporter of urea and ammonia, has committed to returning at least $277 million to shareholders in 2025 through increased dividends and share buybacks. The Abu Dhabi listed company, a partnership between ADNOC and OCI Global, cited strong operational performance and progress on its long-term growth strategy for the enhanced payout.
The company’s board approved a first-half 2025 dividend of $125 million, or 5.58 fils per share. This figure is 25% higher than its previous guidance of $100 million. Combined with $31 million in share repurchases, total shareholder returns for the first half of the year reached $156 million.
For the second half of 2025, Fertiglobe anticipates paying a minimum of $100 million in dividends and plans a further $52 million in buybacks. The total return of at least $277 million represents a yield of approximately 5%, positioning it as one of the most competitive in the region’s industrial and energy sectors.
Performance and Cost Savings
The improved shareholder return is supported by a positive financial outlook. Fertiglobe projects its adjusted EBITDA for the third quarter of 2025 will reach at least $250 million, a significant increase from $176 million in the second quarter. The company attributed this growth to firmer nitrogen fertiliser prices and successful cost efficiency measures.
By September 2025, Fertiglobe had already achieved $19 million in fixed cost savings, boosting its earnings per share by about 9% compared to 2024. This represents 84% of its total $55 million cost-saving target, which was met ahead of schedule.
Strategic Growth Initiatives
As part of its “Grow 2030 Strategy,” the company has commissioned a Hydrogen Recovery Unit in the UAE. The new facility is expected to increase ammonia production by up to 6% while reducing carbon emissions. Fertiglobe is also integrating artificial intelligence across its operations for asset optimisation and predictive maintenance, which it expects will add at least $25 million in annual EBITDA by 2030.
Furthermore, the company has expanded production of Diesel Exhaust Fluid (AdBlue) in the UAE and Automotive Grade Urea in Egypt for export to Europe. These two initiatives are projected to contribute a combined $22 million in annual EBITDA by 2030.
Chief Executive Officer Ahmed El-Hoshy said the company is focused on delivering value while advancing its growth plan. “We’re reaffirming our commitment to shareholder value creation through a minimum $277 million return for 2025,” he stated. El-Hoshy noted that recent initiatives, including an asset acquisition in Australia, are expected to contribute around $91 million in annual EBITDA by 2030, accounting for about a quarter of Fertiglobe’s long-term growth target.
The first-half 2025 dividend will be paid at the end of October 2025 to shareholders of record as of 17 October. Since its initial public offering in 2021, Fertiglobe has distributed a total of $2.8 billion to its shareholders. The company has also repurchased 78.8 million shares, or 0.95% of its total shares, under its current buyback programme.
