Travelling the UAE in sophisticated style

Notes and media contacts

Impact Porter Novelli
PO Box 19791
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Contact:Jennie Brown, Consultant
Tel: 9714 3304030 Ext: 428
Fax: 9714 3304031

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC (IHG) of the United Kingdom [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is one of the world's largest hotel groups by number of rooms. IHG owns, manages, leases or franchises, through various subsidiaries, over 3,800 hotels and more than 571,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries and territories around the world. IHG owns a portfolio of well recognised and respected hotel brands including InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn® Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express®, Staybridge Suites®, Candlewood Suites® and Hotel Indigo®, and also manages the world's largest hotel loyalty programme, Priority Club® Rewards with over 37 million members worldwide.

IHG offers information and online reservations for all its hotel brands at www.ihg.com and information for the Priority Club Rewards programme at www.priorityclub.com.

For the latest news from IHG, visit our online Press Office at www.ihg.com/media

IHG's portfolio within the UAE numbered seven properties as of 30 September 2007, comprising two InterContinental, two Crowne Plaza, two Holiday Inn and one Express by Holiday Inn hotels

About Aston Martin Racing
Team Name: Aston Martin Racing
Location: Banbury, UK
Cars run: 2 x DBR9, numbers 007 and 009
Drivers: David Brabham, Tomas Enge, Johnny Herbert, Peter Kox, Rickard Rydell, Darren Turner

Team history: Aston Martin Racing is a joint venture between Aston Martin and Prodrive. The team was created in 2004 specifically to design, build and race production-based sports cars in events and championships around the world. The team's first race was the opening round of the American Le Mans Series at Sebring in 2005, where it scored a spectacular GT1 class victory.

Later that season, Aston Martin won the prestigious RAC Tourist Trophy at Silverstone before embarking on its first Le Mans with the DBR9. After a titanic battle from pole position, the car took its first podium. It was on the podium again at Le Mans in 2006 - having led through the night and at one point held an astonishing fifth overall. There are never any guarantees at the world's toughest endurance race though, and the lead car was hit by clutch trouble just hours from the finish.

Team highlight: One of the world's most prestigious marques, Aston Martin enjoyed its full season debut in 2006 in the ALMS Championship with drivers Tomas Enge, Pedro Lamy, Stephane Sarrazin and Darren Turner. The team won five out of 10 races and narrowly missed out on the championship title.

In 2007, the team is concentrating its efforts on the world-famous Le Mans 24hr race: its third attempt at the endurance classic. Two cars - numbered 007 and 009 - will once again be entered in the GT1 class, with a driving crew that is the perfect blend of youth and experience. As team principal George Howard-Chappell points out: "Le Mans is the biggest challenge. Winning Le Mans is not just like winning a race: it's like winning a championship."