MasterCard Sponsors Cards Middle East as Payment Innovation Partner for the 7th Year Running

Dubai, UAE, 16 June 2011 - Three of MasterCard Worldwide's key customer financial institutions in the Middle East, recently walked away with awards at the 2011 Smart Card Awards Middle East. The conference was held in Abu Dhabi, as part of a range of events organized by Cards Middle East 2011, the region's largest cards and payment exhibition. This year marked the 7th year MasterCard has sponsored the conference as the Official Payment Innovation Partner.

MasterCard customer financial institutions were awarded Best New Card for Bank Audi Lebanon's Loubnani MasterCard, Best Premium Card for Citibank's Citi PremierMiles MasterCard and Best Credit Card for Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank's LuLu Co-brand Card. Bank Audi Lebanon's Loubnani MasterCard was launched as part of a campaign to enhance the value of the Lebanese Lira, and features a cedar smell as a daily reminder of the country's symbol. Citibank's PremierMiles MasterCard offers cardholders the opportunity to earn free flights with their everyday purchases. These miles never expire, and can be redeemed from 5 frequent Flyer Programs with over 50 participating airlines. Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank's (ADCB) LuLu Co-branded card allows cardholders to earn LuLuPoints with every purchase made with the card. These points can be redeemed for vouchers to be spent at LuLu, Al Falah Plaza and Emirates General Market outlets throughout the UAE.

"We congratulate all the winners of the 2011 Smart Card Awards. At MasterCard, we continuously strive to offer products and payment solutions that will appeal to cardholders' values and lifestyle needs. As consumers' needs evolve, we are committed to working closely with our customers and stakeholders to create a range of flexible, secure and convenient payment solutions, coupled with attractive privileges and offers," said Raghu Malhotra, general manager, Middle East, MasterCard Worldwide

"MasterCard has collaborated with Citibank, ADCB and Bank Audi Lebanon for years, and are pleased to be affiliated with these outstanding institutions. We are delighted that they are being recognized for their efforts, and look forward to developing more differentiated and customized payment solutions with these industry leaders," Malhotra concluded.

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About MasterCard Worldwide
As a leading global payments company, MasterCard Worldwide prides itself on being at the heart of commerce, helping to make life easier and more efficient for everyone, everywhere. MasterCard serves as a franchisor, processor and advisor to the payments industry, and makes commerce happen by providing a critical economic link among financial institutions, governments, businesses, merchants, and cardholders worldwide. In 2010, $2.7 trillion in gross dollar volume was generated on its products by consumers around the world. Powered by the MasterCard Worldwide Network - the fastest payment processing network in the world - MasterCard processes over 23 billion transactions each year and has the capacity to handle 160 million transactions per hour, with an average network response time of 130 milliseconds and with 99.99 percent reliability. MasterCard advances global commerce through its family of brands, including MasterCard®, Maestro®, and Cirrus®; its suite of core products such as credit, debit, and prepaid; and its innovative platforms and functionalities, such as MasterCard PayPass™ and MasterCard inControl®. MasterCard serves consumers, governments, and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. For more information, please visit us at www.mastercard.com. Follow us on Twitter: @mastercardnews.

Contacts:
Heba Hassan, GolinHarris
Dubai, +971 4 332 3308
Ext: 151
mobile + 971 50 678961
hhassan@golinharris.com

© Press Release 2011