Medium and Large Businesses to see Operating and Financial Benefits

Dubai, November 6th, 2006 - MasterCard Worldwide, a leader in advancing global commerce, hosted a Workshop on Corporate and Purchasing Cards, ahead of the Total Logistics Congress which is taking place in Dubai on November 6th and 7th.

Hosted by MasterCard, the Workshop aimed at providing delegates with an overview of corporate and purchasing cards and existing opportunities, as well as outlining the relevance of electronic data, MIS and expense management for measurement and control.

Corporate and purchasing card programs are a simple, but powerful solution for managing business expenses, and can have an immediate, positive impact on operations and financial results. With corporate and purchasing cards, medium and large enterprises, multinational corporations, government and other public-sector agencies have unsurpassed control over how, and by whom, funds are spent. Organizations simply decide which employees receive the payment cards, how much they can spend, and where they can spend.

Global Commercial Products give organizations access to a worldwide source of data in a single repository, providing both data completeness and uncompromised accuracy. Rich data and interoperability with the organizations expense management, financial management or ERP system, provides information that is actionable for reconciliation, cost saving and strategic purposes.

Charl Smedley, Vice President, Global Commercial Solutions, South Asia, Middle East and Africa (SAMEA), MasterCard Worldwide said: "As an industry leader in global commercial solutions, MasterCard is delighted to host the Workshop on Corporate and Purchasing Cards. As organizations in the private and public sector increase their focus on their corporate and purchasing card programs, the integration of data and information becomes even more critical. This workshop is another demonstration of our commitment to helping organizations glean critical intelligence from their programs, and ultimately uncover greater opportunities for cost savings." 

-Ends-

Note to Editor:
MasterCard has developed corporate and purchasing payment solutions for its customer financial institutions in the Middle East, including customer banks such as Citibank with the launch of the first Citibank MasterCard Corporate Executive Card in the United Arab Emirates, HSBC Bank UAE with the launch of the HSBC MasterCard Corporate Card, Purchasing Card and Smart Data OnLine in the UAE, the Saudi British Bank with the launch of the SAAB MasterCard Business Card and Smart Data OnLine for businesses in Saudi Arabia, HSBC UAE and BTI with the launch of the MasterCard Lodged Card Solution for medium to large market organizations in the UAE, with BankMuscat with the launch of the MasterCard Purchasing Card and Smart Data OnLine in Oman, the Dubai Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation in the UAE with the launch of the  Corporate Purchasing Card and Smart Data OnLine, HSBC in Bahrain with the launch of the HSBC MasterCard Corporate Card, Bank Audi in Lebanon with the launch of the Bank Audi MasterCard Corporate Card, the Arab Financial Services in Bahrain with the launch of the Bahrain Saudi Bank MasterCard Corporate Card and BankMuscat with the launch of the BankMuscat MasterCard Corporate Card in Oman.  

About MasterCard Worldwide
MasterCard Worldwide advances global commerce by providing a critical economic link among financial institutions, businesses, cardholders and merchants worldwide.  As a franchisor, processor and advisor, MasterCard develops and markets payment solutions, processes approximately 14 billion transactions each year, and provides industry-leading analysis and consulting services to financial institution customers and merchants. Through its family of brands, including MasterCard, Maestro and Cirrus, MasterCard Worldwide serves consumers and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. For more information, go to www.mastercardworldwide.com.

Contact:
Vicki Morley,
GolinHarris Dubai,
+971 4 332 3308,
mobile + 971 50 455 7149,
vmorley@golinharris.com

Nicole Suter,
GolinHarris Dubai,
+971 4 332 3308,
mobile + 971 50 376 8865,
nsuter@golinharris.com

© Press Release 2006