First Middle East Investor Relations Society Awards Presented

Awards Recognise Individuals and Companies in Middle East for IR Best Practices

DUBAI, UAE, November 24 - 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.

(Photo:
www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091124/PIV368320-a )

(Photo:
www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091124/PIV368320-b )

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 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."

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.

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

Photo:
www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091124/PIV368320-a

www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091124/PIV368320-b

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 at asdaa.com / g.chaurasia at asdaa.com / m.daggamseh at asdaa.com