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Zawya joins forces with Arabia 500 to help fast-growing regional small-and-medium businesses

New partnership combines Zawya 's leading research and reach in MENA with the largest entrepreneurial network in Emerging markets to increase support and exposure for Arabia's most talented growth businesses
Dubai, UAE, July 27, 2011 - Zawya , the leading online provider of business intelligence on the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, announced today a new partnership with AllWorld Network, which aims to establish the largest information system and network of growth entrepreneurs in Emerging Markets. Zawya will serve as the Business Community Partner for AllWorld's Arabia 500, the first ranking of its kind for fast-growing small-and-medium businesses in the region.

Being on the Arabia 500 ranking puts these companies on the world map, allowing them to greatly improve their odds of success. With worldwide visibility, ranked companies attract new investors, customers, joint venture partners and talent so they continue to grow and scale - AllWorld calls this concept Visibility Economics ^TM.

Zawya is the ideal platform for applicants and investors interested in the Arabia 500, as it provides unparalleled regional research on companies, industry sectors, and other unique content, as well as access to a network of almost 1 million MENA-focused business and investment professionals.

The first- ever Arabia 500 ranking will be announced on 16-17 November 2011 during the AllWorld Arabia 500 Awards & Global Summit, which is under the patronage of Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan. The ranking is transparent and in order to be ranked companies have to demonstrate quantifiable resilience and verified revenues. Allworld will check applicant companies' credentials based on surveys and a review of audited financials.

Gunnar Skoog , Chief Executive Officer, Zawya said: "Being a regional SME that has succeeded, we are always keen to help entrepreneurs and fast-growth companies in MENA reach their full potential. The Arabia 500 is one of the most ambitious projects to date for the purpose of economic development in the Arab world and we are proud to be associated with it."

Deirdre M. Coyle, Jr., Co-CEO and Co-Founder of AllWorld added: "The MENA region does not lack any capability as there are amazing entrepreneurs throughout the region; the real issue is their visibility. They are off the economic map, investors aren't looking for them, large firms don't contract with them and talented college graduates have never heard of them. Without visibility, economic potential is artificially suppressed and few companies will ever get to truly scale. With its research and reach, Zawya is ideally suited to provide these companies with the knowledge and exposure they need to achieve scalability."

All private non-listed companies from the Middle East and North Africa are invited to apply to the Arabia 500 at allworldlive.com or zawya.com/sme

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About Zawya
Zawya is the leading online business intelligence provider focusing on the Middle East & North Africa, enabling nearly 1 million professionals worldwide to find and connect to the right business and investment opportunities in the region. With unique content and tools including detailed company profiles, timely aggregated news though Zawya -Dow Jones, leading industry and asset class research, an exclusive online network, and direct access to a team of 100+ experts covering most sectors, Zawya provides its users with the intelligence they need to conduct business in MENA. Headquartered in the UAE, Zawya has physical presence in Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, and the USA. For more information, please visit http://www.zawya.com/sme

About AllWorld
AllWorld Network was established in 2007 by Deirdre Coyle, Anne Habiby and Harvard Business School Professor Michael Porter, after many years of promoting entrepreneurship in the developed and developing worlds. AllWorld's mission to find and scale ALL the growth entrepreneurs of the emerging world, creating the largest information system and network of growth entrepreneurs.

AllWorld systematically identifies private growth companies and ranks the fastest growing for the Arabia 500, Africa 500, Asia 500, Eurasia 500, and Latin America 500. Being on an AllWorld ranking puts companies on the world map, drawing the market to them - what AllWorld calls Visibility EconomicsTM. Ranked companies "go public," attracting new investors, customers, joint venture partners and talent so they continue to grow and get to scale.

For further media information and to schedule interviews with Zawya executives, please contact:
Nimati Shuhaibar, Memac Ogilvy Public Relations
Nimati.shuhaibar@ogilvy.com

© Press Release 2011