Middle East financial services leader enhances regional communications outreach

Dubai, December 12, 2009: In a sign of its commitment to sustained regional communications outreach, Emirates NBD, the Middle East’s largest bank by asset size, announced today that it has appointed ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller as its retained public relations consultancy.

The appointment of ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller comes at a time when the bank has recently concluded the two-year merger process between Emirates Bank and National Bank of Dubai. As a result, Emirates NBD has now consolidated its status as a national banking champion and among the largest banks in the wider Middle East and North Africa region.

Emirates NBD continues to expand its operations and range of products and services. It is also increasingly focused on communicating with all its stakeholders, including clients, investors, partners and the media.

“We are pleased to announce our new relationship with ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller, the region’s leading public relations consultancy, which has a significant track record of successfully partnering with both regional and international firms,” said Saif Al Mansoori, Head – Group Business Marketing, Emirates NBD. “At Emirates NBD, we are convinced that consistent communication has never been more important, and are confident that ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller will prove a reliable partner in that long-term effort.”

“It is a privilege for us to have the opportunity to provide our support to Emirates NBD, a storied brand in the regional financial services sector,” said Sunil John, Chief Executive Officer, ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller. “We are grateful to the management of the bank for their confidence in ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller, and look forward to working closely with them, across the operations of Emirates NBD, for many years to come.”