The Oscar-winner question for the regional outlook on initial public offerings (IPOs) is not whether the Middle East and North African primary markets are stuck in a first quarter hurt locker, as much as whether the rest of 2010 will lift performances up and away or prompt regional investors to dispatch avatars to international markets. The numbers for March IPOs and the entire first quarter are quickly told. Three offerings were open for subscription from March 22 to 28, all three for Saudi insurance companies, and the amount sought from subscribers equals to just more than $100 million. The three firms — Solidarity Saudi Takaful (seeking $59.2 million), Amana for Cooperative ($34.1 million), and Wataniya Cooperative Insurance ($8 million) — had, as Executive went to print, not released information on the demand commanded by their offerings in the first half of the subscription period. Stumbling start With neither IPO miracles
