RIYADH/DUBAI - Abu Dhabi National Hotels is considering an initial public offering (IPO) for its catering business, ADNH catering, the company said in an undated statement on its website.

Deliberations are still preliminary and all options are being considered, according to the statement by the hospitality group, which did not provide any confirmation on the timing of a potential listing.

The Gulf has seen a flurry of IPOs in recent years as governments in countries like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) try to deepen capital markets and attract investment.

Companies in the Middle East and North Africa raised $3.6 billion from 23 IPOs in the first half of this year, according to LSEG data.

New listings included Saudi healthcare provider Fakeeh Care Group, which raised $763.5 million, and UAE supermarket franchisee Spinneys, while hypermarket and mall operator Lulu is also expected to go public later this year, Reuters has reported.

Abu Dhabi National Hotels was founded in 1976 and owns hotels such as the Ritz Carlton and Park Hyatt in Abu Dhabi, among others. Its shareholders include sovereign wealth fund Mubadala and UAE-based investment firm National Holding.

The catering unit, whose potential IPO plans were first reported by Bloomberg on Tuesday, operates in Saudi Arabia and the UAE and provides food and support services.

Last year, the unit posted revenues of 1.8 billion dirhams ($490.12 million) and an operating profit margin of around 11%.

($1 = 3.6726 UAE dirham)

(Reporting by Pesha Magid and Federico Maccioni; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Christian Schmollinger)