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Attijariwafa Bank Launches Investment Banking Platform in DIFC

Dubai, December 18^th 2011 - Attijariwafa bank Middle East Limited , the subsidiary of Attijariwafa bank Group, has been granted a Category 4 License to operate from the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) as a Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) authorized and regulated entity.

Abdulla Mohammed Al Awar, CEO, DIFC Authority, said: "We are pleased to welcome Attijariwafa bank Middle East Limited , which joins our DIFC community of over 900 companies including 19 of the top 25 global banks. DIFC is not just a cornerstone of the Dubai and UAE economies but is also the Centre for attracting investment and supporting the growth of economies across the entire region. DIFC has already become a core element of the region's banking and financial sector and we are determined to continue growing as a global financial hub."

Attijariwafa bank Group is the largest bank in Morocco and one of the leading financial institutions in Africa. The Group has an international dimension with a presence in 23 countries worldwide and notably enjoys an unmatched network in North and Sub-Saharan Africa where it operates in 12 countries through fully-controlled licensed local banks and subsidiaries.

" Attijariwafa bank Middle East Limited will benefit from the unrivaled platform of the Group to provide strategic advisory services to clients seeking to get or increase exposure to one of our growing markets. The team will leverage on local market knowledge and expertise to offer M&A advisory, capital markets and restructuring services" said Omar Ben Hallam, Senior Executive Officer and Managing Director of the company. Majid Bennis, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Director, added "The DIFC structure will further strengthen our investment banking product offering to Middle Eastern clients".

Attijariwafa bank Middle East's board of directors is chaired by Chakib Erquizi (Group's head of market activities) and composed of Mohamed El Kettani (Groups' s Chairman and CEO), Boubker Jai (Group's Co-CEO), Omar Ben Hallam, and Majid Bennis.

-Ends-

About Attijariwafa Bank
Attijariwafa bank is the largest bank in Morocco and one of the leading banking and financial Group in Africa, The bank operates in 23 countries -- in Africa (Tunisia, Senegal, Burkina-Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Ivory Coast, Congo, Gabon and Cameroon) and in Europe (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain) -- through majority-controlled fully-licensed local banks and their subsidiaries; and in Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, London, Shanghai and Tripoli through representative offices.

In addition to its banking activity, the Group provides a wide spectrum of financial services through several subsidiaries: insurance, mortgage, consumer credit, fast transfers, leasing, factoring, stock brokerage, asset management, M&A and market advisory.

Attijariwafa bank is listed on Casablanca Stock Exchange and has a Market Cap of USD 8,4 Billion as of 9^th December 2011.

For more information and media enquiry, please contact info@attijari-me.com

About the DIFC
The Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) is the financial and business hub connecting the region's emerging markets with the developed markets of Europe, Asia and the Americas.

Since its launch in 2004, DIFC, a purposely built financial free-zone, has been committed to encouraging economic growth and development in the region through its strong financial and business infrastructure. Currently, DIFC's client base comprises over 800 active registered firms, including 18 of the top 25 global banks, 8 of the largest global asset managers, 7 of the 10 largest insurers and 6 of the top 10 law firms in the world. More than 11 thousand employees operate in an open environment complemented by international legal and regulatory standards. DIFC offers its member companies benefits such as 100 percent foreign ownership, zero percent tax rate, with no restriction on capital convertibility or profit repatriation. DIFC has its own independent financial and ancillary services regulatory body, the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA). It also has the DIFC Courts, which is an independent common law judiciary based in DIFC with jurisdiction over civil and commercial disputes in or relating to the Centre.

DIFC is built upon a modern legal, regulatory and physical infrastructure which makes it the destination of choice for Financial Services firms establishing a presence in the region.

For further information, visit: www.difc.ae, or on Twitter @DIFC.

For further inquiries on DIFC, please contact:
Dubai International Financial Centre
Shaima Al Zarouni
PR Manager
Tel: +971 4 362 2432
shaima.alzarouni@difc.ae

Brunswick Group
Nabih Tarabay
Tel: +971 4 446 6200
difc@brunswickgroup.com

© Press Release 2011