Moody's to hold 3rd Annual Middle East Credit Risk Conference in Dubai

The one-day conference will comprise detailed presentations to be given by senior members of Moody's rating teams on the impact of the credit crisis in the GCC, overviews of sovereign risk in the region, the real estate and telecom sectors, Islamic banking and sukuk finance, as well as an update on developments in infrastructure and project finance. The afternoon of the event will consist of a panel discussion on the credit outlook for the region, and include senior guest speakers from key financial institutions in the GCC, and conclude with a topical session on real estate backed finance.

"Over the past five years, the Middle East has enjoyed an unprecedented economic boom backed by soaring global oil prices and impressive progress in economic diversification. Moody's remains highly committed to meeting the needs of market participants in the region through a combination of local expertise and global experience. This commitment was reflected in the establishment of Moody's Dubai office in April 2007 and the continued expansion of the analytical team,"

says Mr Jehad el-Nakla, General Manager of Moody's Middle East, who will make the opening address at the conference.

"Indeed, with around 100 published ratings in the GCC, Moody's is a prime source of information on the region for domestic and international creditors and investors alike, and shows increasing demand for our services going forward" says Andreas Naumann, Senior Vice President - Head of EMEA Business Development at Moody's.

The topics of the presentations by senior members of Moody's rating groups will be as follows:
• "Understanding the Worst Financial Crisis of the Post-World-War-II Period", by Pierre Cailleteau, Managing Director of Moody's Global Sovereign Risk Unit.
• "GCC Sovereign Overview", by Tristan Cooper, Vice President - Senior Analyst, Moody's Sovereign Risk Unit.
• "Focus on Real Estate and Telecoms Sectors -- Growth Drivers and Challenges", by Philipp Lotter, Senior Vice President, and Martin Kohlhase, Assistant Vice President - Analyst, both in Moody's EMEA Corporate Finance Group.
• "Islamic Banking and Sukuk Finance", by Anouar Hassoune, Vice President
• Senior Credit Officer, Moody's Financial Institutions group and Khalid Howladar, Vice President - Senior Credit Officer, Moody's Structured Finance Group.
• "Infrastructure and Project Finance Overview", by Andrew Davison, Vice President - Senior Credit Officer and Andrew Blease, Senior Vice President, both in Moody's Global Infrastructure Group.
• "Real Estate Securitisation - A Solution for GCC Banks and Borrowers?",
by Khalid Howladar, Vice President - Senior Credit Officer Moody's Structured Finance Group.