DIFX Appoints Ahmed Fahour as Director

Dubai: 19 March, 2008 - The Dubai International Financial Exchange Ltd (DIFX) today announced the appointment of Ahmed Fahour as a Board Director. Mr. Fahour is the Chief Executive Officer, Australia, of the National Australia Bank Group and a Principal Board Director of National Australia Bank Limited.

Mr. Fahour takes up his appointment as the DIFX prepares for a new phase of development following the completion last month of the transaction among the DIFX, Borse Dubai Ltd and The Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc., which resulted in The Nasdaq Group, Inc. acquiring a 33.3 percent stake in the DIFX.

Soud Ba’alawy, Chairman of the DIFX and Executive Chairman of Dubai Group, said: “Ahmed’s first class experience in international financial services brings valuable expertise to the DIFX as it expands its activities. His longstanding knowledge of the region will assist Dubai’s development as one of the world’s leading financial centres.”

Biographical details of Mr. Fahour:

Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, Australia, of National Australia Bank 

Ahmed Fahour joined the National Australia Bank Group in September 2004. He is a Principal Board Director of National Australia Bank Limited.  He is also responsible for bringing together and managing the Group’s main businesses in Australia and Asia – retail and business banking, corporate banking, and wealth management (MLC).

Before joining the Group, Mr Fahour was Chief Executive Officer, Australia and New Zealand, Citigroup and prior to this was Chief Executive Officer of Citigroup Alternative Investments in New York. In his role at Citigroup he was involved in various financial activities with Dubai organisations. He began his career at the Boston Consulting Group where he  became a Partner and Director.

Notes to Editors

About DIFX
The DIFX is the international financial exchange serving the region between Western Europe and East Asia. It welcomes regional as well as international issuers that seek regional and international investment.

The exchange opened in September 2005 and currently has 21 Members – ABN AMRO, Arbuthnot Securities, Barclays Capital, Citigroup, Credit Suisse, Daman Securities International, Deutsche Bank, EFG-Hermes, Gulf National Securities Centre International, Hichens, Harrison & Co, HSBC, ING Bank NV, Jefferies International, KAS BANK, MAC Capital, Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, Mashreq Capital (DIFC), NBD Investment Bank, SHUAA Capital and UBS.

Issuers on the DIFX: Equities - Albaraka Banking Group (ordinary shares), Boulder Steel (ordinary shares), DP World (ordinary shares), Citigold Corporation (ordinary shares), Fortune Management (ordinary shares), Gold Fields (American depositary shares), Hikma Pharmaceuticals (global depositary receipts), Kingdom Hotel Investments (ordinary shares), Man Industries (India) (global depositary receipts), Monarch Gold Mining Company (ordinary shares), Sphere Investments (ordinary shares); Unigold Inc (ordinary shares); Bonds – DP World (Medium Term Notes), Dubai Holding Commercial Operations Group (Medium Term Notes), Kuwait Financial Centre S.A.K. (Closed) (Notes); MashreqBank (Medium Term Notes), National Bank of Dubai (Medium Term Notes); Islamic Products - Aabar Sukuk (Sukuk), Cherating Capital (Sukuk), DAAR International Sukuk (Sukuk), Dar Al Arkan International Sukuk (Sukuk), DIB Sukuk (Sukuk), DIFC Investments (Sukuk), Dubai World Sukuk (Sukuk), IIG Funding Ltd (Sukuk), JAFZ Sukuk (Sukuk), Nakheel Development (Sukuk), Nakheel Development 2 (Sukuk), RAKIA Sukuk Company (Sukuk), TID Global Sukuk (Sukuk); Structured Products - Deutsche Bank, Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley

The regulator of the DIFX is the Dubai Financial Services Authority. The DIFX is owned by Borse Dubai Limited, a holding company which also owns the Dubai Financial Market. The DIFX is located in the Dubai International Financial Centre.

www.difx.ae

For more information, please contact

Mark Fisher
DIFX
00 971 4 3612220
00 971 50 6245805
Mark.fisher@difx.ae

Top