Barclays Capital further boosts its team in the Middle East with the appointment of Firas Chakra

Notes and media contacts

For further information please contact:

Florence Goodman, Head of Public Relations and Corporate Affairs UAE
Tel: +971 4 362 6785, Mobile : +971 50 651 0871

Clare Fancourt, Public Relations Barclays Capital, London
Tel: +44 20 777 34175


About Barclays Bank PLC:
Barclays PLC has over 300 years of history and is a major global financial services provider engaged in retail and commercial banking, credit cards, investment banking, wealth management and investment management services. We are one of the largest financial services companies in the world by market capitalisation, with a 'AA' rating and a balance sheet of over £986 billion.. Operating in over 60 countries and employing over 118,000 people, we move, lend, invest and protect money for over 25 million customers and clients worldwide.
Barclays has been present in the United Arab Emirates for over 30 years where it operates three distinct strategic business units covering the Middle East and North Africa region: Barclays Capital, Barclays Global Retail and Commercial banking and Barclays Wealth.


About Barclays Capital:
Barclays Capital is the investment banking division of Barclays Bank PLC. With a distinctive business model, Barclays Capital provides large corporates, government and institutional clients with solutions to their financing and risk management needs. Barclays Capital has offices in 26 countries, employs over 10,500 people and has the global reach and distribution power to meet the needs of issuers and investors worldwide. In January 2005, Barclays Capital received recognition from two of the finance industry's most prestigious publications by being named IFR magazine's 'Bank of the Year' and Risk magazine's 'Derivatives House of the Year'; and in November 2005, Financial News magazine awarded Barclays Capital 'European Investment Bank of the Year' in their annual Awards for Excellence. In addition, Barclays Capital ranked No.1 for Capital Raising in Euromoney's 2005 Capital Raising Survey.

In the Middle East, Barclays Capital is licensed to operate from the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and the Qatar Financial Centre (DFC). Since spring 2004, Barclays Capital has significantly expanded the resources devoted to the Middle East, bringing the firm's expertise in debt financing and risk management to the region. The Barclays Capital team in the Middle East & North Africa region is headed by Cyrus Ardalan.

Recent transactions by Barclays Capital in the Middle East include:
 USD 3.5bn Pre IPO Sukuk for DP World of Dubai
 EUR 500m FRN for Emirates Bank,
 Subordinated Issue of US$500m for National Bank of Dubai
 US$300m FRN for Arab Banking Corporation.
 Etisalat US$3bn Syndicated Loan
 Etihad Airways US$ 849m Aircraft Financing
 Project Finance mandates for Qatar Gas IV and Qatar Gas Transport Company
 USD 2.4bn Acquisition Finance for MTC of Kuwait
 USD 1.0bn Ijarah Facility for Dolphin Energy Ltd of Abu Dhabi USD 800m
 Syndicated Loan for GIB of Bahrain USD 300m
 Syndicated Loan for Investcorp of Bahrain EUR 475m
 Acquisition Financing for Mubadala Development Company of Abu Dhabi