Banking Card That Facilitates Easier Payment and with Added Security Features is Also Certified By “Groupement d’Intérêt Economique – Carte Bancaire”

(BUSINESS WIRE)– Gemalto (Euronext NL0000400653 GTO), the world leader in digital security, announces it is behind Crédit Agricole’s large-scale deployment of contactless EMV banking cardsin France. The Crédit Agricole group is market leader in full-service retail banking in France and one of the largest banks in Europe. Gemalto is the first to market the highly secure Optelio contactless EMV banking card certified by GIE-CB (“Groupement d’Intérêt Economique – Carte Bancaire”) with optimized EMV risk management features for the French market.

The deployment opens the door to the world of contactless payment for all of Crédit Agricole’s customers. Cardholders can enjoy a new payment experience by simply waving or tapping their card in front of a contactless reader at the point-of-sale for purchases under 20 euros, while transactions above that amount will require a PIN confirmation. The technology saves time for both merchants and cardholders and greatly reduces cash handling.

The card also features additional protections that reinforce security and complement the traditional EMV payment functionality. These added features provide improved flexibility while maintaining a high level of risk management for Crédit Agricole.

“Leveraging their global expertise in EMV and contactless rollouts worldwide, the Gemalto team put forward the right product at the right time for our program in France,” according to Crédit Agricole.

“With this new project, Crédit Agricole is keen to offer their customers secure and reliable payment solutions, while benefiting from the latest technological innovations,” added Gabrielle Bugat, Senior Vice President, Gemalto. “Contactless is one of the key cooperation and development areas for 2012, both for Gemalto and Crédit Agricole.”

About Gemalto

Gemalto (Euronext NL0000400653 GTO) is the world leader in digital securitywith 2010 annual revenues of €1.9 billion and over 10,000 employees operating out of 87 offices and 13 Research & Development centers in 45 countries.

Gemalto is at the heart of our evolving digital society. Billions of people worldwide increasingly want the freedom to communicate, travel, shop, bank, entertain, and work—anytime, anywhere, in ways that are convenient, enjoyable and secure. Gemalto delivers on the growing demands for personal mobile services, identity protection, payment security, authenticated online services, cloud computing access, modern transportation, e-healthcare and e-government services. Gemalto does this by providing secure software, a wide range of secure personal devices, and managed services to wireless operators, banks, enterprises and government agencies.

Gemalto is the world leader for electronic passports and identity cards, two-factor authentication devices for online protection, smart credit/debit and contactless payment cards, as well as subscriber identification modules (SIM) and universal integrated circuit cards (UICC) in mobile phones. Also, in the emerging machine-to-machine applications Gemalto is a leading supplier of wireless modules and machine identification modules (MIM). To operate these solutions and remotely manage the software and confidential data contained in the secure devices Gemalto also provides server platforms, consulting, training, and managed services to help its customers achieve their goals.

As the use of Gemalto’s software and secure devices increases with the number of people interacting in the digital and wireless world, the Company is poised to thrive over the coming years.

For more information visit www.gemalto.com, www.justaskgemalto.com, blog.gemalto.com, or follow @gemaltoon Twitter.

QInvest, Qatar’s leading Investment bank, has acquired 30.5% of Al Nakheel Agriculture and Trading Company W.L.L. and AG Middle East LLC (together the “Group”). Based in Doha, Qatar, the companies specialize in providing landscaping and related maintenance services to governmental, corporate and industrial customers.

This acquisition is the fourth private equity transaction completed by QInvest in the MENA region and is consistent with its strategy to partner with established businesses that are in need for growth capital to achieve their expansion objectives.

Al Nakheel is a fully integrated landscaping and Maintenance Company established in Qatar in 1998. AG Middle East, established in 1976, is a landscape and irrigation services company involved in the construction, improvement and maintenance of commercial and governmental properties. Al Nakheel’s prestigious projects include The Pearl Qatar, Museum of Islamic Art Parks, Qatar Education City Convention Center, Barwa City, Dahlak Island Resort – Eritrea and Sidra Medical Research Canter. AGME’s prestigious projects include Doha 2006 Asian Games Village Hard & Soft Landscaping Works, Doha Golf Course, Ritz Carlton Hotel and the West Bay Lagoon Landscaping Works.

Commenting on the acquisition, QInvest’s CEO, Shahzad Shahbaz, said: “this investment represents the firm’s strategy to diversify its portfolio within the service sector. Our partnerships with Qatari organizations represent QInvest’s commitment to contribute to the growth of the private businesses in Qatar and the region aiming to benefit from the strong growth of the Qatari economy and the government’s strategy to expand and diversify the market”.

H.E. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Fahd Al Thani, Chairman and majority shareholder of the Group, commented, “We are very happy partnering with QInvest and look forward to their support to help us retain our leading position in the market, institutionalize our business and strengthen our operations. We plan on leveraging this relationship to further expand our business and take it to the next level.”

Anuj Khanna, QInvest’s Head of Investment Management, said: “Al Nakheel Agriculture and Trading Company and AG Middle East have a long and successful track record of serving their customers’ needs and have executed several landmark projects in Qatar. We are pleased to have the opportunity to partner with the existing shareholders and management team of both companies to help them realise their objectives.”

He added, “This is our second investment in the outsourced services sector, which is one of our target sectors for investment in Qatar and the region. We believe that Qatar’s strong fundamentals and outlook will benefit the Group as customers undertake major infrastructure and development projects over the next decade. The availability of increasingly sophisticated and environmentally friendly landscaping and maintenance solutions will be appreciated by customers as they drive the exciting transformation of Qatar over the next few years.”

- Ends -

Notes to the Editor

QInvest was licensed by the Qatar Financial Centre Authority in April 2007 and is authorised by the Qatar Financial Centre Regulatory Authority. The firm has authorized capital of USD 1 billion and paid up capital of USD 750 million.

Led by Chairman H.E. Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jaber Al Thani, and Chief Executive Officer Shahzad Shahbaz, QInvest has created a world class investment banking capability operating under Sharia’a compliant structures, with the highest standards of governance and transparency.

The QInvest shareholder structure includes Qatar Islamic Bank and other institutional investors, as well as prominent high net worth individuals from across the region. The platform offers a broad range of expertise which enables QInvest to deliver a high value service to clients, seamlessly covering advisory, financing and investment needs.

QInvest’s business lines include investment banking, investment management, brokerage and wealth management, with dedicated origination and placement teams.

With over 130 staff, including 65 front office professionals, QInvest’s talented team of investment bankers brings a valuable mix of both international experience and regional knowledge, enabling the Firm to pursue opportunities across its chosen markets of the Middle East, Africa, Turkey, South Asia and South-East Asia.

Extending beyond this geographic focus, the firm also pursues opportunistic transactions globally where it identifies high value propositions for clients.

www.qinvest.com

Contacts

Bassel Hanbali – Head of Marketing & Corporate Communications

Telephone: +974 66542099

Email: bassel.hanbali@qinvest.com

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Thursday, January 26th 2012 [ME NewsWire]

Strong Capital Generation With Tier 1 Common Equity Ratio at 9.86 Percent

Global Excess Liquidity Sources Remain Strong at $378 Billion, up $42 Billion in 2011

Investment Bank Maintained No. 2 Global Ranking in Net Investment Banking Fees and Gained Market Share in 2011

Bank of America Merrill Lynch Named “Top Global Research Firm of 2011″

Total Average Commercial and Industrial Loan Balances Increased 13 Percent From the Fourth Quarter of 2010

Small Business Loan Originations and Commitments up Approximately 20 Percent in 2011, More Than 500 Small Business Bankers Hired in 2011

Global Wealth and Investment Management Adds Nearly 1,700 Financial Advisors in 2011

Extended Approximately $557 Billion in Credit and Raised $644 Billion in Capital for Clients During 2011

More Than 1 Million Mortgage Loan Modifications Completed Since 2008

(BUSINESS WIRE)– Bank of America Corporation today reported net income of $2.0 billion, or $0.15 per diluted share, for the fourth quarter of 2011, compared with a net loss of $1.2 billion, or $0.16 per diluted share in the year-ago period. Revenue, net of interest expense, on a fully taxable-equivalent (FTE)1 basis rose 11 percent to $25.1 billion.

For the full year, the company reported net income of $1.4 billion, or $0.01 per diluted share, compared with a net loss of $2.2 billion, or $0.37 per diluted share in 2010. Revenue, net of interest expense, on an FTE basis1 declined 15 percent to $94.4 billion.

“We enter 2012 stronger and more efficient after two years of simplifying and streamlining our company,” said Chief Executive Officer Brian Moynihan. “We built our capital ratios to record levels during 2011 on the strength of our core businesses and by shedding those that are not core to serving customers and clients. I am proud of our team and their ability to serve our customers well while transforming the company.”

“Our fourth-quarter results reflect the aggressive steps we have been taking to strengthen the balance sheet and position the company for long-term growth,” said Chief Financial Officer Bruce Thompson. “During the quarter, we significantly increased capital and liquidity. Our Tier 1 common equity ratio increased to 9.86 percent from 8.65 percent in the third quarter of 2011, and our time-to-required funding increased to 29 months from 27 months. For 2012, our focus is to continue to build capital and liquidity and manage expenses.”

“Reflecting a gradually improving economy,” continued Moynihan, “we saw solid business activity by companies of all sizes, with commercial and industrial loan balances rising 13 percent from the fourth quarter of 2010, and small business loan originations increasing approximately 20 percent in calendar year 2011.”

Selected Financial Highlights

Three Months Ended

Year Ended

(Dollars in millions except per share data)

December 31 2011

December 31 2010

December 31 2011

December 31 2010

Net interest income, FTE basis1

$

10,959

$

12,709

$

45,588

$

52,693

Noninterest income

14,187

9,959

48,838

58,697

Total revenue, net of interest expense, FTE basis

25,146

22,668

94,426

111,390

Provision for credit losses

2,934

5,129

13,410

28,435

Noninterest expense2

18,941

18,864

77,090

70,708

Goodwill impairment charges

581

2,000

3,184

12,400

Net income (loss)

1,991

(1,244

)

1,446

(2,238

)

Diluted earnings (loss) per common share

$

0.15

$

(0.16

)

$

0.01

$

(0.37

)

To view the full report and tables please click here.

Contacts

Investors May Contact:

Kevin Stitt, Bank of America, 1.980.386.5667

Lee McEntire, Bank of America, 1.980.388.6780

Reporters May Contact:

Jerry Dubrowski, Bank of America, 1.980.388.2840

jerome.f.dubrowski@bankofamerica.com

SINGAPORE & MANAMA, Bahrain – Thursday, January 26th 2012 [ME NewsWire]

(BUSINESS WIRE)– The Islamic Bank of Asia (IB Asia) today announced two key senior appointments to drive the bank’s focus on investment banking and establish greater connectivity between the Middle East and Asia. Mr. Harish Parameswar is appointed Managing Director and Head of Investment Banking and will be based in IB Asia’s head office in Singapore. Mr. Saleh Al Nashwan joined IB Asia as the Chief Representative for its Bahrain Representative Office.

Mr. Toby O’Connor, CEO of IB Asia, said: “The addition of Harish and Saleh to our senior management reflects IB Asia’s commitment to deliver a first class Shariah compliant merchant banking platform servicing Asia and the Middle East. Harish brings a wealth of investment banking, private equity and relationships within Asia while Saleh has extensive business experience and connectivity in the Middle East. Strong client coverage across the Middle East and Asia with high quality transaction origination and execution are essential for us to fully capture our business opportunity.”

Mr. Parameswar will oversee the expansion of IB Asia’s investment banking business which includes private equity, advisory, private placement and capital markets activities, which is in line with the Bank’s strategic priorities.

Before joining IB Asia, Mr. Parameswar was most recently the Founder and Managing Director of Beacon Advisory International, a corporate finance advisory and private equity investment firm focused on emerging markets. Prior to this, he was Managing Director at Lazard Asia Limited from 2006 to 2010, serving as Head of South East Asia with additional responsibility for the Technology and Media sectors in Asia. He also worked at Deutsche Bank and Jardine Fleming in various corporate finance roles in Singapore and India.

Mr. Parameswar holds a Post-Graduate Diploma in Business Management from IMT Ghaziabad, and a Bachelor of Commerce from Shri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi University.

As chief representative of Bahrain Representative Office, Mr. Al Nashwan will lead IB Asia’s regional office and coverage of IB Asia’s shareholder and client base across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. In line with the Bank’s objective of bridging capital flows and business between Middle East and Asia, he will work in close cooperation with IB Asia’s head office in Singapore to strengthen business activity with its Middle East client base.

Prior to joining IB Asia, Mr. Al Nashwan was most recently the Chairman of MECAP Consultancy, and founder and CEO of Maalem Holding, an investment holding company, from its inception in 2008 to May 2011. He is currently a non-executive director of Nass Corporation BSC, a Bahraini Public Joint Stock Company.

A Saudi national, Mr. Al Nashwan has over a decade of extensive experience in investment, placements and corporate banking with an in-depth knowledge of regional business and financial markets. He has served several senior management positions in leading banks and financial institutions in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, including Addax Investment Bank, Gulf Finance House and Saudi American Bank (SAMBA). He has played key roles in several major real estate projects and investment deals in the region.

Mr. Al Nashwan holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Industrial Management / Marketing from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.

About The Islamic Bank of Asia

Incorporated in May 2007 with DBS Bank and prominent investors from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries as shareholders, The Islamic Bank of Asia (IB Asia) combines banking expertise and insights of Asia with strong Islamic banking credentials to tap into opportunities within Asia and the Middle East. Headquartered in Singapore, IB Asia focuses on Shariah compliant capital markets, direct investment and corporate banking services To find out more about IB Asia, log on to www.islamicbankasia.com.

About DBS

DBS – Living, Breathing Asia

DBS is a leading financial services group in Asia, with over 200 branches across 15 markets. Headquartered and listed in Singapore, DBS is a market leader in Singapore with over four million customers and also has a growing presence in the three key Asian axes of growth, namely, Greater China, Southeast Asia and South Asia. The bank’s strong capital position, as well as “AA-” and “Aa1″ credit ratings that are among the highest in the Asia-Pacific region, earned it Global Finance’s “Safest Bank in Asia” accolade for three consecutive years, in 2009, 2010 and 2011.

DBS provides the full range of services in consumer, SME and corporate banking activities across Asia and the Middle East. As a bank born and bred in Asia, DBS also understands the intricacies of doing business in the region’s most dynamic markets. This market insight and regional connectivity have helped to drive the bank’s growth as it sets out to be the Asian bank of choice. The bank believes that building lasting relationships with its customers is an integral part of banking the Asian way.

With its extensive network of operations in Asia and emphasis on engaging and empowering its staff, DBS presents exciting career opportunities. The bank acknowledges the passion, commitment and can-do spirit in all of our 18,000 staff, representing over 30 nationalities. For more information, please visit www.dbs.com.

Contacts

DBS Bank

Fen Peh

Group Strategic Marketing and Communications

Email: fenpeh@dbs.com

Tel: (65) 6878 6519

Fax: (65) 6222 4478

Mobile: (65) 92780089

(BUSINESS WIRE)– Syncada from Visa announced today that its global financial supply chain network processed more than $21 billion in payments during 2011, a substantial increase from 2010 and a record in annual payments for the company.

“Creating efficiency in the financial supply chain has a direct, monetary benefit for banks and corporations, and the dramatic boost in payments processing demonstrates that our customers recognize Syncada’s value more and more,” said Kurt Schneiber, Chief Executive Officer of Syncada.

Last year’s record volume includes transactions processed using Syncada’s key features of invoice processing, invoice financing, and payment. Syncada’s end-to-end financial supply chain solution allows financial institutions of all sizes to offer their commercial clients standardized business-to-business (B2B) invoice processing, financing, and payment services across a variety of payment types and local currencies. Corporations and governments use Syncada to improve their financial supply chains, promoting automation, visibility, and collaboration to create leaner, more competitive enterprises.

“Our processing record is both a milestone and a stepping stone, and it reinforces our commitment to excellence and to all members of the Syncada network, both current and future,” adds Schneiber.

About Syncada

Syncada from Visa provides a business-to-business network for financial institutions to enable their clients to increase control over their financial supply chains, regardless of language or currency. Financial institutions use Syncada to deliver standardized invoice processing and payment with integrated financing to their corporate and government clients. Working with the banks of buyers and suppliers, Syncada processes invoices for hundreds of buyers and makes payments to tens of thousands of sellers in 47 countries. In 2011, Syncada processed more than USD $21 billion payments and millions of invoices and trade documents. Visit www.syncada.comfor more information.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=50135225&lang=en

Contacts

Syncada

Kara Pritchett, 612-436-6311

kara.pritchett@syncada.com

Gate2Play e-payment system offers a complete online payment solution for the customers and merchants, implementing the integration link between both ends that allows benefiting from the entire regional and global payment infrastructure.

The unified hub enables the international corporate to launch their products and execute their services for the first time in the regional markets, easily with no financial obstacles.

“Gate2play Payment system effectively manages the complex routing of payments integration and collection process. So now all merchants needs single integration with our payment system to have full payment infrastructure inMiddle East,” said Muhannad Ebwini, CEO of Gate2Play.

The reliable and most secured payment hub would play a vital role in promoting commercial orientations, as it is connecting merchants to a consolidated network for leading local, regional, and global payment gateways.

“Moreover, the aggregating system provides an advanced level of security, reliability and confidentiality for websites owners, allowing them to connect with all types of cards starting with Visa and Master Card, in addition to the popular cards in the region, including OneCard, CashU Card, uKash,  ePayDiz Card, FilsPay Card, DixiPay Card, Paypal Card,” said Ebwini, noting the possibility of issuing a detailed financial reports to enable merchants monitoring and controlling their sales.

It should be noted that in spite of the relative prosperity witnessed by the volume of e-payments, Arab markets are still lacking in the appropriate practical solutions. As a result, the Arab market share has been smaller than expected, compared to some western market shares of online transactions valued at more than USD 17 billion annually.

- END -

gate2play is the first one stop-shop for online merchants in the Middle East andNorth Africa.

gate2play provides value added services to its clients provides online payment hub services, connecting merchants to a consolidated network of some of the leading local, regional, and global payment gateways. The company which was established in 2010 offer its clients specialized Payment Gateway Services to assist merchants in regional market entry, including localization services (in multiple languages), online and offline marketing and strategic partnership development.

Market Entry and Expansion Services gate2play operates a specialized multi-lingual professional support center for online services, which can be used both for marketing outreach, e-ticketing, live chat support, as well as for transaction facilitation and customer service.

For more information, please call

PR Launchers / Tel: 00 962 6 55 20 681 – Fax: 00 962 6 55 20 681

Email: info@PRLaunchers.com– Web: www.PRLaunchers.com

(BUSINESS WIRE)–iFOREX, a foreign exchange rates and currency trading provider, recently revealed the infographic of their two-part learning guide for traders new to the foreign exchange market. The new design incorporates simple to follow infographics and text as well as clear examples on how to open trades. For the reader’s convenience, the guide can be found in an array of languages including Arabic which can be found at http://www.iforex.ae

The new design will be advantageous for beginner Forex traders. iFOREX stressed simplicity in their concept, letting readers learn in an easy and flexible way through infographics which include vast information about the Forex market as well as illustrations. The character “Simon” offers tips and examples along the way, making the learning guide almost interactive.

iFOREX has had many pleasant reviews on their new design. When asked what new traders should expect, a senior marketing executive was quoted saying, “The new learning course is oriented around the reader, making it easy to comprehend Forex and CFD trading. Our developed character, Simon, will guide the reader through simple steps of opening trades, making the entire learning course easy to follow from start to finish.”

With the Forex Market expanding every day, iFOREX believes it is important to keep new and current traders up-to-date with not only Forex news, but learning guides as well. For more information about the two-part learning guide or other financial services iFOREX provides, please visit http://www.iforex.com

* Territorial restrictions may apply. iFOREX does not offer its services in the BVI

*Forex/CFD trading involves considerable risk

The English-language text of this announcement is the official, authoritative version. Translations are provided as an accommodation only, and should be cross-referenced with the English-language text, which is the only version of the text intended to have legal effect.

Contacts

iFOREX Group

Nathan Phillips

Public Relations

pr@iforex.com

UAE Exchange joins hands with Bank of Kathmandu
Nepal becomes the second country, after India, to experience FLASH

“Account Credit is now a real time phenomenon in Nepal too.”, exclaimed Mr. Y. Sudhir Kumar Shetty, COO – Global Operations, UAE Exchange, while announcing the launch of the real time account credit facility, FLASH, in Nepal. “UAE Exchange has always believed in walking that extra mile for the customers and bringing them more value. We are always on the look-out for like-minded partners to achieve this aim. We are glad to be associated with Bank of Kathmandu, which is known to value customer experience. Together we strive to bring this unique facility to our beloved Nepali community.”

UAE Exchange, the leading global remittance and foreign exchange brand, in association with Bank of Kathmandu, one of the leading banks of Nepal, brings FLASH to Nepal. With this initiative, Nepal becomes the second country, after India, to experience the service.

FLASH has revolutionised the account credit scenario, where the beneficiary will receive money in their account within seconds in a secured manner. The moment the amount is credited to the beneficiary’s account, an SMS notification is instantly sent to the mobile phones of both the sender and the receiver, thus reducing on the follow up costs. FLASH service is available round-the-clock and throughout the week including Sundays and bank holidays.

Mr. Prabin Prakash Chhetri, COO – Bank of Kathmandu, said, “This collaboration with UAE Exchange will help us get closer to our customers. Bank of Kathmandu is extremely pleased to bring this service to the customers. FLASH will help connect families and we want to be part of this happy chain. UAE Exchange, like us, is known amongst its customers for its value-based services. We are certain that this association is the beginning of a long term relationship.”

UAE Exchange has brought together an interesting range of products and services. Apart from FLASH, the remittance major offers Xpress Money, the leading global instant money transfer brand; Money2anywhere, the online money transfer portal; Smart Pay, the WPS-compliant leading payroll solution; and XPay, the facility for bill payment using mobile phones. UAE Exchange also has an interesting line-up of popular promotions all year long, which offers high value prizes like cars, gold, villas, cash in millions and more.

UAE Exchange is the largest networked among exchange brands with over 555 direct offices in 29 countries across five continents. We have correspondent banking relationship with over 150 global banks. Moreover, there are over 7000 professionals from more than 40 nationalities to ensure that UAE Exchange understands customer needs and provides them with solutions.

For more information, visit www.uaeexchange.com

For more information on our latest products or to participate in our exciting contests, join us on Facebookby logging on to www.facebook.com/uaeexchange

To understand UAE Exchange better visit www.transfer-sendmoney-payroll.com

Contacts

Lahcen Aterta

Manager Media Relations

+971-2-4945480

Aterta.lahcen@uaeexchange.com

“The GCC will see continuous development and show above-average growth at 3.9 per cent in 2012, compared to flat lining scenarios in the USA and, perhaps worse in Europe,” highlighted Hamilton-Clark adding that TNS MENA’s recent move to new, modern open space offices was designed to support this growth trend.

Hamilton-Clark said that a key growth indicator is that the Middle East’s internet and digital market has grown by 1,800 per cent in the last ten years.

“Internet penetration in the region is showing one of highest in the world today,” he said. TNS recently concluded the second TNS Global Digital Life research series and is set to present exclusive insights of the market at this month’s TNS Executive Forum.

He went to suggest that the BRICS nations – Brazil, Russia, India, China and now South Africa – will also feature in the region’s economic buoyancy.

“With the rise of BRICS, the global economy has already seen significant shifts in its balance. It is now the turn of the region. The GCC States have been fast to forge alliances with the BRICS markets by increasing bi-lateral trade and investment, at the same time seeking to build stronger links with other new and emerging economies, including China, mapping a modern-day Silk Route.”

He observed that as US and European economies respond to the economic downturn with flat-line activity, many companies are looking to enter the MENA region to leverage its growth opportunities.

“We are already meeting the influx of new market entry requiring specific data and insights into the region. TNS covers the whole MENA region and our consumer connection expertise enables clients to make informed decisions in leading sectors including FMCG, Technology, Finance, Media, Healthcare and Automotive.“

TNS recently reinforced its regional presence by moving to a 2,300 square metre state-of-the-art office in the heart of Dubai to further ensure capabilities to address this increasing demand and changing client needs across all sectors.
Meanwhile, Hamilton-Clark also warned that developed economies are already facing challenges of ageing populations and an increase in the demand for government support for this age group. On the contrary, the GCC looks to have a relatively low dependency ratio of pensioners to working age population by 2020, with the high youth population needing support.

“The recent Arab Spring has highlighted the immense challenges of supporting a population with a huge youth cohort. Indeed, as much as 65 per cent of the regional population is under the age of 24 and with this challenge comes immense opportunities for growth and investment across all sectors of the economy from education to the automotive sector, to fmcg products, travel and leisure and much more.”

He said that these dynamics, and more, see the region positioned to greatly influence and even re-shape global trends.

“TNS research delves deep to find out who is engaging with brands and looks to counsel a 200+ strong client-base, working with them to craft winning brand communication strategies.

“For example, our research series such as the ‘Arab As Consumer’, ‘ARAC 2020 Women’, ‘Brands, Islam and the New Muslim Consumer’, and ‘Shabab Tek’ offers unique insight to 17 regional youth markets,” concluded Hamilton-Clark.

Every year across the MENA region the company’s consumer intelligence is shaped from over 650,000+ exclusive consumer conversations and 3,200+ focus groups conducted by over 150 research experts who use this insight to offer accurate end-to-end counsel and solutions to clients.

-Ends-

About TNS MENA
A part of TNS global, the world’s largest custom market research organisation, TNS MENA was established in 1980 to cater to growing markets of the Middle East. TNS MENA shares and supports the vision of TNS Global. As the world’s leading Custom Market Research organisation, TNS operates across a vast network of over 80 countries.

With the acquisition of a majority stake in RMS, announced in December 2010, TNS now has the widest footprint of any agency across the African continent and Middle East region. Today TNS MENA is the largest full-service agency in MENA region with 150 research experts delivering accurate business insight and counsel to its 200 plus client base.

In MENA region TNS focuses on creating valuable market research in the leading sectors including: FMCG; Technology; Finance; Media; Healthcare; Automotive.

TNS MENA has pioneered Consumer understanding studies in regional markets with three main studies; Arab as a Consumer, Digital Life and Mobile Life and Consumer Sentiment & Confidence. The Arab as a Consumer study is a syndicated study organised by TNS MENA since 1987. ARAC 2020 Women study and Brands, Islam and the New Muslim Consumer are some of the niche extensions of the consumer studies with Shabab Tek, a youth study offers unique insight in GCC youth markets.

Over last few years, TNS MENA has achieved a volume of over 650,000 quantitative surveys and 3,200 focus groups per year in the region, thus being the number one market research and intelligence company in region.