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HE Sultan Bin Nasser Al Suwaidi, Governor of the Central Bank of the UAE to address senior finance professionals on the new financial landscape in the GCC

Over 200 treasury, risk and corporate finance professionals from the region will gather at the Association of Corporate Treasurers (ACT) Middle East Conference being held at the Shangri-La Hotel in Dubai on 13 October to hear HE Sultan Bin Nasser Al Suwaidi speak on the impact of the global financial crisis on the UAE banking system and economy, safeguarding the system from the effects of future financial crises and role of the Central Bank in facilitating business finance and commerce.

Along with keynote addresses from Yuvraj Narayan, Chief Financial Officer of DP World and Trevor Williams, Chief Economist at Lloyds TSB Corporate Markets, leading representatives from Al Hilal Bank, EMAL, KIPCO, Petrofac, RBS, Saudi Aramco, SunGard, Tabreed and TAQA will discuss the key issues facing treasurers and businesses across the GCC.

The gala dinner will see special awards presented to representatives from leading companies in the region in recognition of their success in the challenging financial markets of 2010, as well as celebrating the accomplishments of students who have successfully achieved the ACT's benchmark qualifications in international treasury and cash management.

Matthew Hurn, Executive Director, Group Treasury at Mubadala Development Company, President of ACT and Conference Chairman said:

"Over the past two years the ACT Middle East network has grown from strength to strength and we have been impressed by the strong appetite for qualifications, training and thought-leadership events of this kind. This conference represents an exciting step in bringing together senior finance professionals and treasury practitioners from across the GCC to discuss ideas, share best practice and recognise achievement, and sets a precedent as the networking event for finance professionals in the region."

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About the ACT
The Association of Corporate Treasurers (ACT) is the leading professional body for international treasury providing the widest scope of benchmark qualifications for those working in treasury, risk and corporate finance.

ACT was established in the City of London in 1979 with the first exams held in 1985. Since then, over 10,000 candidates from international organisations and leading financial institutions have enrolled on the ACT's treasury management, risk management and corporate finance education programmes.

The ACT professional network now extends to over 6,000 members and students across 68 countries. Highly respected in the UK and internationally, the ACT has members at senior level in 88% of UK FTSE100 companies.

ACT provides a wide range of professional development and networking opportunities centred around:

• professional qualifications and training courses
• conferences, briefings and thought-leadership events
• publications, technical updates, guidance and dialogue.

For further information visit www.treasurers.org

About the ACT Middle East Conference and Awards Dinner
ACT Middle East is the network for treasury, risk and finance professionals committed to the development and sharing of treasury knowledge and expertise across the Middle East. It provides networking opportunities for those working in or interfacing with treasury, enabling them to come together to discuss best practice and providing continuous professional development through treasury training and professional qualifications.

Since its launch in 2008, ACT Middle East has run twelve events in the region. The network now extends to over 1,300 senior professionals across the GCC, with 85 having enrolled to study the ACT's benchmark treasury and cash management qualifications. Attracting ACT members, treasury practitioners and providers of treasury products and services, and with sponsorship from RBS, Al Hilal Bank, SunGard and Lloyds Banking Group, the inaugural annual conference will set a precedent for years to come as the networking event for treasurers in the region.

A pre-conference workshop will give those new to treasury an opportunity to learn about the corporate treasury function in the context of business strategy and will be facilitated by two experienced practitioners - Ricky Thirion, Vice President - Treasury at Etihad Airways and James Lockyer, ACT's Director of Education and former Treasurer at Unipart Group.

The one-day conference programme will feature keynote addresses from H.E Sultan Bin Nasser Al Suwaidi, Governor of the Central Bank of the UAE, Yuvraj Narayan, Chief Financial Officer of DP World and Trevor Williams, Chief Economist at Lloyds TSB Corporate Markets.

Leading representatives from Al Hilal Bank, EMAL, KIPCO, Petrofac, RBS, Saudi Aramco, SunGard, Tabreed and TAQA will facilitate practical and strategic sessions that will discuss the key issues facing treasurers and business across the GCC - from funding strategy to dealing with FX risk.

The exhibition hall will see exciting displays and in some cases, new product launches from leading companies in the region, including 360t, Al Hilal, Earthport, IT2, Misys, Prime Rate Capital, P-Solve, RBS and S&P.

The conference closes with the Gala Dinner and ACT Middle East Treasury Awards which will celebrate treasury success over the past year. The Deals of The Year Awards recognise the achievements of international companies in accessing the debt and equity markets and winners are nominated and judged by fellow practitioners. This year there are three categories of awards: bond deal of the year; loan deal of the year and treasury team of the year. Last year's winners were Qtel and Etihad Airways.

The dinner will also see awards presented to ACT students in recognition of their success in the first set of exams held in the region for the Certificate in International Treasury Management and the Certificate in International Cash Management professional qualifications.

For further information on ACT Middle East visit www.actmiddleeast.org

For more information visit www.actmiddleeast.org/annualconference

Members of the press are invited to attend the conference and gala dinner. For a press pass or to commission an article, please contact: Catherine Fiddes (Conference Consultant) on E: cfiddes@treasurers.org M: +971 (0)50 518 2767

Sharon Newell (Head of Marketing and Communications, ACT) on E: snewell@treasurers.org T: +44 (0)20 7847 2547 M: +44 (0)7860 520 828

© Press Release 2010