Mermaid Marine Australia Ltd will merge with Dubai Ports World subsidiary P&O Maritime Services Pty Ltd through a share-trading arrangement. Mermaid will issue 221.9 million shares to DP World in return for 100 per cent of the shares in P&O Maritime Services Ltd and P&O Polar Australia Pty Ltd, subject to shareholder approval. The deal will result in DP World owning 60.4 per cent of Mermaid, with existing shareholders holding the remaining 39.4 per cent. Mermaid will also assume an additional $40 million of net debt initially in the form of debt due to DP World as part of the transaction. Mermaid directors said in a statement that the proposed merger would create a highly attractive business diversified across a range of maritime services…