The Bank of New York Mellon appointed as depositary bank by Byblos Bank

Each Byblos Bank GDR represents 50 common shares. The GDRs trade on the London Stock Exchange, and the ordinary shares are listed on the Beirut Stock Exchange, all under the symbol "BYB".

The Byblos Bank GDRs and common shares have not been registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933 and may not be offered or sold in the U.S. (absent, in the case of the common shares, registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements).

Byblos Bank is one of the leading banks in Lebanon, providing a full range of retail banking, commercial banking, treasury, capital markets and private banking and international banking and trade finance services through its extensive branch network, which is the third largest in Lebanon.

Through its overseas banking and other subsidiaries, the Bank maintains a strategic presence in emerging growth markets, particularly in the Mena region, and also conducts a wide range of commercial banking and financial activities in Europe. The Bank was established in 1950 and operates in Lebanon, the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Armenia, Cyprus, the United Arab Emirates, Syria, Iraq (Kurdistan), Sudan and Nigeria.

"Byblos Bank established this sponsored facility in order to increase liquidity through the listing of Global Depositary Shares and to promote further transparency for investors," said Semaan Bassil, vice chairman - general manager of Byblos Bank.

"After careful consideration, we selected The Bank of New York Mellon as depositary for its commitment to the Lebanese market and its recognized leadership and expertise. We are confident The Bank of New York Mellon has the resources to help us effectively service our investors and also help generate demand for our GDRs."

"As the leading depositary bank in the Middle East, we are delighted to be working with Byblos Bank on this transaction, and we look forward to helping Byblos Bank increase its international profile in the years to come,"

said Michael Cole-Fontayn, chief executive officer and head of The Bank of New York Mellon's Depositary Receipt Division.

Byblos Bank posted net profits of $122m in 2008, up 23% from the previous year, while Byblos Bank's assets increased by 18.5% to $11.2bn at year-end 2008, as compared to year-end 2007.

According to Byblos Bank's management, these increases constituted the highest year-on-year growth rates in profits and assets among Lebanon's top three banks. Deposits reached $8.4bn and grew by 15.2% from year-end 2007.

In the third quarter of 2008, Byblos Bank successfully raised $200m through the offering of two million Series 2008 Preferred Shares, despite global financial market conditions.

The Bank of New York Mellon has been conducting business in the Middle East and Africa for nearly 100 years. The Company has representative offices in Abu Dhabi, Beirut, Cairo, Dubai, Istanbul and Johannesburg and works with a wide range of banks, governments and other financial institutions throughout the region.

The Bank of New York Mellon acts as depositary for more than 1,300 sponsored American and global depositary receipt programs, working in partnership with leading companies from 64 countries. With an unrivaled commitment to helping securities issuers succeed in the world's rapidly evolving financial markets, the Company delivers the industry's most comprehensive suite of integrated depositary receipt, corporate trust and stock transfer services.

The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation is a global financial services company focused on helping clients manage and service their financial assets, operating in 34 countries and serving more than 100 markets.

The company is a leading provider of financial services for institutions, corporations and high-net-worth individuals, providing superior asset management and wealth management, asset servicing, issuer services, clearing services and treasury services through a worldwide client-focused team. It has $20.2 trillion in assets under custody and administration, $928bn in assets under management and services more than $11 trillion in outstanding debt.

This release is for informational purposes only. The Bank of New York Mellon provides no advice, recommendation or endorsement with respect to any company or securities. Nothing herein shall be deemed to constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy securities.