Shuaa sees overwhelming investor interest during GCC Investor Conference in London

Mr Majid Al Ghurair, Chairman, Shuaa Capital commented: "The conference was a great success and we saw real optimism amongst international investors towards the GCC. This demonstrates the widespread belief amongst investors that regional markets are likely to recover more quickly from the global crisis than many in the developed world. The strength of the GCC economies lies in the vast hydrocarbon reserves and the initiatives governments have taken to modernise, liberalise and regulate their markets and in the programmes to educate their growing populations. As the hosts of this conference, we are proud to be continuing our longstanding tradition of attracting foreign capital to the GCC."

Conference participants included the senior management of 17 leading GCC companies and over 150 international investors who together discussed each company's investment case and equity story during a series of one on one meetings.

H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman, Bin Zayed Group commented:

"As Dubai 1.0 witnessed a strong focus on developing its hardware, I believe that we now have in place the financial and economic infrastructure to enable Dubai to develop its software, or knowledge infrastructure, that will help it rebound more quickly than other economies. Dubai 2.0 will symbolise an economic model that can compete globally with its state-of-the-art soft and hard infrastructure, cutting edge technology and an entrepreneurial environment that supports creativity and unrestrained flow of capital. Dubai's solid achievements over the last few years enable it to now consolidate its position as it moves ahead with its recovery."

Sanjay Uppal, Chief Financial Officer, Emirates NBD commented: "The uncertainties posed by the current global economic downturn have necessitated continued, if not increased, engagement with the market and Emirates NBD have maintained an active dialogue with the regional and international investor community throughout the crisis. The Shuaa Capital GCC Investor Conference in London provided an excellent opportunity to continue this dialogue at a time when sentiment is showing signs of improvement and the outlook is starting to become clearer."

Zeina Al Tabari, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Drake & Scull International PJSC said: "We are very pleased to have been given the opportunity by Shuaa Capital to explain our investment case to such a wide range of leading international investors. Importantly, our discussions also focused on the strong fundamentals supporting GCC economies and equity markets which make the region a very attractive destination for foreign investment."'

The conference also saw keynote speeches and panel sessions with regional business leaders and experts including H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman, Bin Zayed Group, UAE; H.H. Sheikha Hanadi Al Thani, Chairperson, Amwal Investment Co., Qatar; Mr. Abdulrahman Alsufiyani, VP SAGIA Funds Initiative, Regional Development, Saudi Arabia; Mr. Husam Hourani, Managing Partner, Tamimi & Company; Mr. Tom Healy, Chief Executive Officer, Abu Dhabi Stock Exchange; Mr. Abdullah Bin Saleh Al Suweilmi, Chief Executive Officer, Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul); and; Mr. Kito de Boer, Director, Middle East North Africa, McKinsey & Company.