al khaliji Investor Relations website ranked 1st in Qatar and all GCC Banks

al khaliji Investor Relations website ranked 2nd across all GCC Listed Companies

Halvarsson & Halvarsson's (H&H) 2010 Web Ranking Acknowledges al khaliji's Commitment to Sound Corporate Governance and Transparency

Doha, 28 December 2010: al khaliji award-winning website topped Halvarsson & Halvarsson's (H&H) "GCC Webranking" survey of listed companies in Qatar and banks across the GCC for the second year in a row. www.alkhaliji.com has also been elected number 2 website among all GCC listed companies, up from the 7th position in 2009.

Sites are assessed according to 140 criteria derived from H&H's survey of business journalists, analysts and investors to identify the most highly valued information and functionality from a corporate website.

Christiaan de Beer, Group Chief Financial Officer, and Charbel Cordahi, Head of Investor Relations, received the certificate on behalf of al khaliji at the awards gathering and workshop organized in coordination with the Middle East Investor Relations Society at the occasion of the announcement of the 2nd Annual "GCC H&H Web Ranking Survey" results in Abu Dhabi.

Robin McCall, acting Chief Executive Officer of al khaliji commented on this achievement:

"As part of al khaliji's objectives and strategy, we strive to adopt transparency in our financial statements, processes, plans and programs, and make every effort to provide our investors with sufficient information on the Bank's plans and strategy through regular postings on our website and reporting in GCC and international dailies. We are delighted to see that our efforts to implement a higher degree of transparency via our website have been recognized for the second year by Halvarsson & Halvarsson".

Charbel Cordahi, Head of Investor Relations commented:

"Since its establishment, al khaliji has adopted an effective communication policy with its investors, as well as with analysts, shareholders, and the financial media. We have created a specialized Investor Relations Unit and website, set a clear policy with respect to good corporate governance and disclosures, and strive to align al khaliji's activities and management with international best practices".

www.alkhaliji.com is available in both Arabic and English and provides a wealth of information and details relevant to investors and financial analysts, including constantly updated news, presentations and Q&A section. The Share Details and General Assemblies sub-section provides detailed information on general assemblies and general assembly minutes, along with share details, trading information, foreign ownership limits, and trading value. The Major Shareholders sub-section furnishes information on the major shareholders and the distribution of shares among nationalities, as well as among companies, government and individuals. All press releases issued by the Bank are available online, as well as the Board of Directors' resolutions and the Bank's policies and procedures relating to the protection of investors' rights and interests.

In addition to the H&H Webranking Survey Award, al khaliji last month won the first prize and the coveted title of 'Best Visual Website' in the Middle East at the 3rd Banking Web Award competition organized in Beirut (Lebanon) by the Pan Arab Awards Academy, in association with Microsoft Corporation and BSA. 

For further information on al khaliji, please visit www.alkhaliji.com

-Ends-

about al khaliji
al khaliji is Qatar's pioneer 'next generation bank' offering a full range of conventional and Islamic banking products and services to retail, business, corporate and institutional customers in Qatar, the U.A.E and France.

Headquartered in Doha, al khaliji is one of Qatar's leading banks and a member of the Qatar Exchange 20 Index, with QR 20.16 billion in total assets and QR 9.09 billion in customer deposits as of 30 June 2010.

At al khaliji we believe that success lies in the financial security and development of people to enable them to sustain a prosperous life. Our products and level of service reflect our belief that to be successful, we must meet the needs of both this generation and future generations of employees, customers, investors and business partners.

al khaliji's strategy does not simply focus on profitability and increasing market share: it also strives to contribute to the financial sector's sustainability in the markets where the Bank operates.

al khaliji al islami is the Islamic Banking branch of al khaliji offering retail and corporate customers a full range of Shari'a compliant financial products and services, including Islamic Current Account, General Investment Account, Domestic and International Fund Transfers in major foreign currencies and Commodity Murabaha financing products.

Al Khaliji France is our subsidiary in Paris, France with a network of branches in the UAE covering Dubai, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaima, and Abu Dhabi. This branch network offers customers and businesses the opportunity to expand and grow across the region and throughout Europe. 

Visit www.alkhaliji.com and www.alkhaliji.fr to discover the latest 'next generation banking' news and information.

Investor Relations:
Dr Charbel Cordahi
Head of Investor Relations
Tel.: +974 494 0643
Email: ccordahi@alkhaliji.com

Media Relations:
Abeer Al Kalla
Head of Public Relations
Tel.: +974 494 0646
Email: aalkalla@alkhaliji.com

© Press Release 2010