FPI adds Emirates Investment Services conventional and Islamic multi manager funds to its fund platform

Notes and media contacts

About EIS :

EIS is the asset management subsidiary of the Emirates NBD and is located in the Dubai International Financial Centre. The team of investment professionals has rapidly grown, with over 50 employees from 14 different countries, providing global insight into the investment process and collectively bringing more than 150 years of investment experience under one roof.

EIS follows an investment philosophy centered on the principle of acquiring under-valued assets which have the potential to deliver superior returns over a period of time. As noted, EIS currently has over Dhs6bn assets under management making it one of the largest asset managers in the MENA region. EIS is regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority.

About Friends Provident International:

Friends Provident International (FPI) is the international component of Friends Provident's business, which operates throughout the UK, Asia, and the Middle East.

See www.fpinternational.com for further information on Friends Provident International.

Brief on selected EIS funds being offered by FPI:

1. Shari'a compliant investment solution:

- Emirates Islamic Global Balanced Fund is a US Dollar denominated, open ended Shari'a compliant fund, which may invest in a wide range of asset classes, but will be weighted towards equity and fixed income investment strategies. The fund aims to achieve long term capital appreciation by investing on a fund of funds basis and should be viewed as a medium risk investment.

2. Conventional investment solutions:

- Emirates Conservative Managed Fund is an open ended, US Dollar denominated fund that seeks to generate long term capital growth by accessing a range of asset classes from a number of global asset managers within a single fund structure. The Fund will be weighted towards fixed income strategies, as well as other asset classes in accordance with the Fund's mandate and will invest predominantly on a fund of funds basis. The Fund should be viewed as a low to medium risk fund.

- Emirates Balanced Managed Fund is an open ended, US Dollar denominated fund that seeks to generate long term capital growth by accessing a range of asset classes from a number of global asset managers within a single fund structure. The fund will be weighted towards equities and fixed income strategies, as well as other asset classes in accordance with the Fund's mandate. The fund will be diversified across a range of asset managers as EIS, the investment manager, strives to access the best investment talent from around the globe. The Fund should be viewed as a medium risk fund.

- Emirates Active Managed Fund is an open ended, US Dollar denominated fund that seeks to generate long term capital growth by accessing a range of asset classes from a number of global asset managers within a single fund structure. The fund will be weighted towards equities and fixed income strategies and will have exposure to other asset classes in accordance with the Fund's mandate. The fund will be diversified across a range of asset managers as EIS, the investment manager, strives to access the best investment talent from around the globe. The Fund should be viewed as a medium risk fund.

About Emirates NBD

Emirates NBD (DFM: Emirates NBD) is the biggest banking group in the Middle East by assets. At 31st December 2008, total assets were Dhs282.4bn and a combined market share of 20.5%.

The Group has a leading retail banking franchise in the UAE, with over 129 branches and over 651 ATMs. It is a major player in the UAE corporate banking arena, with a combined market share of almost a fifth of corporate loans. It also has strong Islamic banking, investment banking, private banking, asset management and brokerage operations.

The Group has operations in the UAE, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Kingdom and Jersey (Channel Islands), and representative offices in India, Iran and Singapore.

For more press information please contact:

Hassan Al Khuwaildi
PR Officer
Emirates NBD
T: 04 209 2263
F: 04 232 9147

Suzan Barhoush / Samer Bassil
G M- PR / PR Officer
tamra-c2
T: 04 295 1177
F:04 295 1188