• Awards recognise individuals and companies in Middle East for IR best practices

• Based on Thomson Reuters Extel Survey’s poll of regional and global fund managers and analysts

• Emphasises growing significance of IR best practices, corporate governance and transparency among regional firms

Peter Gotke, Vice President, Bank of New York Mellon, presenting the award to Ziad Makhzoumi, Chief Financial Officer, Arabtec Construction, for the “Middle East IR Society Personality of the Year” award.

The Middle East Investor Relations Society (ME-IR Society) held its inaugural awards ceremony today, recognising leading investor relations (IR) practitioners in the Middle East region. The Middle East Investor Relations Society Awards are the first of their kind held in the region, and are based on Thomson Reuters Extel Surveys of fund managers and analysts who invest in the Middle East.

The award categories consisted of “best individual” and “best company” in eight markets, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and the Levant region.

From over 500 companies surveyed, the winning companies in each of these markets included, Gulf Finance House (Bahrain), Orascom Construction (Egypt), Bank Audi (Levant), KIPCO (Kuwait), Bank Muscat (Oman), Qtel (Qatar), Almarai (Saudi Arabia), and National Bank of Abu Dhabi (UAE). The awards were presented at a ceremony held at the Dubai International Financial Centre in Dubai.

“It is the goal of the Society to promote strong IR practices across the region, and

Mike Hughes, Managing Director and Regional Head of Global Transaction Banking, Deutsche Bank, presenting the award to Fiona Piper, Vice President, Investor Relations, DP World, for the “Best Company Representative for IR in the UAE.”

we are delighted to recognise those companies and individuals who are leading the way,” said Arif Amiri, Chairman of the ME-IR Society. “Strong investor relations can assist in lowering the cost of capital, which is critical for many companies both here in the region and around the world. Further, it emphasises the importance of high standards of corporate governance and transparency among regional firms, which are key factors in attracting the global investor community.”

The awards ceremony marked the end of a productive workshop, which included discussion on a wide range of topics, including investor sentiment towards the region and strategies for communicating with debt investors.

Gretchen Haynes, General Manager, ME-IR Society, said: “A growing number of regional and multinational companies in the Middle East understand, value and follow international best practices of IR. The global financial crisis has increasingly put the spotlight on corporate governance standards and we hope to see many more leading practitioners of IR across the MENA region. The Society looks forward to hosting many more initiatives to raise the profile of the IR industry in the region.”

Basil Moftah, Managing Director, Thomson Reuters in the Middle East and Africa, presenting the award to Georges Schorderet, Chief Financial Officer, Almarai for the “Best Company for IR in Saudi Arabia” and “Best Company Representative for IR in Saudi Arabia.”

Haynes highlighted that the Thomson Reuters Extel Survey underlined the need for need for more independent, professional investor relations services to bridge the gap between corporate management and investors, as well as the adoption of international financial reporting standards.

The Middle East Investor Relations Society was established in 2008 and aims to ensure that regional companies have access to the necessary tools, resources and network of experts to support them in their efforts to adopt and implement best practice investor relations.

-ends-

About the Middle East Investor Relations Society:

The Middle East Investor Relations Society (ME-IR Society) aims to support the further development and practice of investor relations across the Middle East in line with the rapid growth of the region’s capital markets and increasing demand from both regional and global investors for greater disclosure and transparency. The ME-IR Society is the first of its kind in the region and serves as a unique platform for IR professionals. Its main objective is to promote and develop the IR profession by creating a solid networking platform for regional practitioners and a forum for sharing and promoting of IR standards. www.me-irsociety.com

For further information, please contact:

Nicholas Nesson / Gunjan Chaurasia / Mohammed Daggamseh

ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller

Dubai, UAE

Tel: 971-4-3355969

Fax: 971-4-3356080

Email: n.nesson@asdaa.com / g.chaurasia@asdaa.com / m.daggamseh@asdaa.com