• New registrations in UAE grew by 50% in the last month

• Number of page views doubles

Dubai, December 03, 2008.  XING - the leading European online business networking website - reports significant membership growth in the previous month. UAE membership growth rose by 50 percent in November over membership growth in the previous month. The number of XING page views increased by 35 percent over the past six months. These figures confirm the experience of XING AG that forward-looking business professionals, self-employed individuals, experts and managers from all sectors increasingly recognize the wealth of benefits that a personal business network can bring during economically turbulent times.

"The value of an online professional network is increasing worldwide, in all markets and all regions around the globe. Now is the time to take advantage of online networking, as can be seen from the membership figures in the UAE," said Lars Hinrichs, Founder and CEO of XING AG, based in Germany.

A recent survey by Synovate revealed that UAE is the second most active country in the world in terms of online networking. Some 46 percent of UAE residents actively nurture their business connections online. Nelly Liebrecht, XING AG Market Development Manager MENA concurred, commenting: "This figure doesn't come as a surprise in the least. UAE's remarkable economic growth and the impressive pace of progress continue to lure new residents. A large number of business professionals have been affected by the economic downturn and are now seeking new job opportunities, building new circles of acquaintances and business partners and essentially starting a new life. The online business network XING has proven to be a crucial tool in helping business professionals to negotiate their way through economically unstable times." XING is available in 16 languages, appealing to professionals around the world.

The consistently high level of activity - with 92 percent of Premium Members using XING every month - coupled with strong member growth has already resulted in more than 120 million direct connections between individual members. This indicates that managers and professionals are increasingly connecting with one another on the Internet. Personal contacts open many doors to professional success. This is true when it comes to establishing new sales channels, initiating new venture partnerships and, above all, when members are forced to plan for their future career in the face of possible job changes.

-Ends-

About XING
XING is the leading network for business contacts in Europe. Far more than a directory of business contacts, XING makes your professional network an active part of your life, enabling members to discover professional people, opportunities and privileges through its unique discovery capability and advanced contact management tools. With the successful IPO of XING as the first Web 2.0 company to go public, XING AG has had a long-term impact on the social networking trend amongst professionals. By focusing on the target group 'business people worldwide', the company is able to offer tailored features, thereby making networking and contact management simpler. Besides Headquarters in Hamburg, XING AG is also represented with offices in Barcelona, Istanbul and Beijing.

XING. Powering Relationships.

© XING AG http://www.xing.com

© Press Release 2008