The Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) is the world’s fastest growing financial centre. Its ultra modern, highly efficient and well-regulated infrastructure serves both the region and the rest of the world.  DIFC bridges the time gap between the financial centres of Hong Kong and London, and provides the Gateway to a region with the largest untapped emerging market for financial services. Since its inception in November 2004, DIFC has attracted over 650 registered companies, among them a number of the Global 500, with its open environment complemented by uncompromisingly high standards. DIFC also offers its member institutions incentives such as 100 per cent foreign ownership, zero percent tax rate and no restrictions on repatriation of capital and profit. For further information, please visit www.difc.ae

Deutsche Bank, Global Transaction Banking
Administrative services for the private equity industry in the Middle East.  Deutsche Bank’s Trust & Securities Services, part of the Bank’s Global Transaction Banking division, is a leading provider of administrative services for Islamic, conventional and structured private equity transactions. It offers fund administration, fund accounting, investor services, data warehousing, NAV administration, cash management, custody and SPV (GP/LP) administration for a wide range of structures.  The group has a strong track record in this area and has been involved in a number of transactions in the region. It leverages its global footprint to provide private equity managers with local services while offering the advantage of a global network spanning more than 70 countries.  With local teams covering the GCC and wider MENA markets, and with a full banking license in the UAE and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Deutsche Bank can offer clients a local contact and the resources of a global leader.  For information on Deutsche Bank’s services please visit: www.tss.db.com.  Deutsche Bank's operations in Dubai are regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority. Any financial services or products offered by Deutsche Bank from the DIFC are only available to clients who satisfy the regulatory criteria to be a Professional Client.

Thomson Reuters is the world’s leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals. We combine industry expertise with innovative technology to deliver critical information to leading decision makers in the financial, legal, tax and accounting, healthcare, science, and media markets, powered by the world’s most trusted news organization.  As the largest financial markets vendor in the world, we employ more than 50,000 people in 93 countries. A key stakeholder in Islamic finance, Thomson Reuters provides unbiased and tailored coverage of the Islamic markets, across different asset classes and geographies, hence allowing clients to work competitively whilst conducting investments consistent with Islamic law. Thomson Reuters is the trusted and reliable choice for all Islamic Market participants. www.thomsonreuters.com

NAA, headquartered in China, is an investment company which takes significant stakes in established high growth private, and undervalued listed, businesses across Asia, with a core focus on China, where the management team has been investing for over 13 years.
NAA invests in all industry sectors, with a preference for:

• Clean Technology & Energy
• Agriculture & food
• Consumer products & services
• Natural resources

GBMB is a merchant banking group focuses on Asia. We provide a range of financial services to Asian businesses, and to non Asian businesses looking to operate in Asia, including M&A, IPO, strategic alliances, joint ventures, restructuring and alternate financing methods.  We invest our own capital in transactions, as well as third party funds where we act as advisors. www.goldenbridgemerchantbank.com.

Bureau van Dijk EP is one of the world’s leading electronic publishers of business information. Well-known for integrating high-quality data with advanced search and analysis software, our products are used by many leading financial institutions, corporates and universities worldwide.
Our information solutions include ZEPHYR, the combination of Global and Middle Eastern M&A data on transactions and involved parties. Company data is integrated in a database on 33 million private and public companies worldwide to facilitate company valuation and benchmarking by producing reliable industry multiples.  Bureau van Dijk Electronic Publishing is present in 20 countries throughout the world and our Middle Eastern office is located in Bahrain.  For more information: www.bvdep.com

Riyada Ventures is a venture capital house focused on knowledge-based industries including technology, telecommunication, clean-tech, biotech, media, finance, and education.  Riyada’s portfolio includes more than 20 transactions both regionally and internationally. In addition to venture capital management, we provide advisory services to investors as well as entrepreneurs and corporations. We also engage opportunistically in other alternative investment asset classes such as private equity and in other sectors such as manufacturing and hospitality. www.riyada.com

African Venture Capital Association (AVCA) is a not-for-profit entity founded to promote, develop and stimulate private equity and venture capital in Africa. AVCA is committed to promoting high ethical standards of business conduct and professional competence in the private equity and venture capital industries.
www.avcanet.com

Preqin is the leading source of information for the alternative assets industry, providing data and analysis via online databases, publications and bespoke data requests. Preqin also works with fund managers to identify and approach institutional investors for new vehicles via its flagship Fundraising Support Service. Preqin has built a reputation in the alternative assets industry for providing the most comprehensive and extensive information possible. www.preqin.com

Zawya is an online business information and community platform focused on the Middle East. Headquartered in Dubai, Zawya has a global user base of over 350,000+ high-end business professionals. Zawya covers detailed information on the top 12,000+ companies in the Middle East with comprehensive live news coverage through the exclusive Zawya Dow Jones newswire service. Furthermore, the service provides industry news, macroeconomic reports, country statistics, stock market data as well as specialized databases such as IPO, Sukuk, Mutual Funds, Projects and Private Equity monitors. In addition to subscription services, Zawya offers advertisers the ability to target the most affluent online audience with an interest in the MENA region. Zawya's online service caters to and attracts only serious professional users and decision makers as it has the only fee paying user base in the region. Visit us today at www.zawya.com

Eurekahedge is world’s largest independent data provider and research house dedicated to alternative investments. Maintaining coverage of over 20,400 funds across all strategies and asset classes, Eurekahedge is the most widely used and quoted alternative research house worldwide.  Eurekahedge has produced a market-leading research data suite from which our hedge fund and Islamic fund indices are derived; an array of region-specific hedge fund, private equity fund, Islamic fund, real estate fund, enhanced equity fund (SRI) and socially responsible investment fund (SRI) databases; as well as a collection of educational guides for both funds and investors.  Founded in 2001, Eurekahedge has offices in London, New York and Singapore.  For more information, please contact Agnes Yea, Director of Marketing and Communications at agnes@eurekahedge.com or +65 6212 0900.  US toll free: 1866 3451 124, UK toll free: 0808 2343 386.  More information.

Eureka Private Equity is a comprehensive online portal providing one-stop service for private equity and venture capital professionals. This portal provides daily news stories about the global private equity and venture capital industry.  In addition to the free news service, Eureka Private Equity also has a global suite of private equity fund databases covering over 7,000 funds across all regions in this alternative investment universe – a significant increase of over 250% since it was first launched in 2005.  Eureka Private Equity is a subsidiary of Eurekahedge, the world’s largest independent alternative fund data provider and research house, covering over 20,400 funds across all strategies and asset classes. Our global alternative research encompasses hedge funds, funds of funds, Islamic funds, real estate funds, long-only absolute return funds, enhanced equity funds (130/30) and socially responsible investment funds (SRI).  For more information, please contact Agnes Yea, Director of Marketing and Communications at agnes@eurekahedge.com or +65 6212 0900.  US toll free: 1866 3451 124, UK toll free: 0808 2343 386.   www.eurekaprivateequity.com.  More information.

Banker Middle East is the regions most prestigious financial title. Read by senior bankers & financiers across the Middle East it is regarded as the most informative source of news, developments and strategic thought from within the financial community. Now in its eighth year Banker Middle East sets the standards for financial journalism covering a range of topics from retail to investment banking, private equity, project finance, wealth management and Islamic finance. www.cpifinancial.net

Islamic Business & Finance is the worlds most thought provoking monthly magazine dedicated to the development of Islamic finance globally. With a team of experienced journalists and contributors readers are kept up to date with the latest developments from within the Islamic finance community. Launched in December 2005 Islamic Business & Finance has quickly established itself as an essential read for all involved in this rapidly expanding industry. www.cpifinancial.net

www.cpifinancial.net is the premier free to access financial website dedicated to the Middle East. Our team of professional journalists travel throughout the MENA region to gain unique insights into the major financial institutions and to ensure that they remain at the forefront of industry news and developments. We feature real time updates of breaking news and explain how this will affect the region, allowing users to be well informed about the issues that impact upon their business. We also provide our readership exclusive access to the events shaping the financial industry. With every aspect of finance covered, this unique website has become the authoritative voice for bankers in the Middle East. In addition to news, www.cpifinancial.net also includes in-depth features, interviews, analysis, research and blogs written by our journalists and industry experts. News is dissected into various categories, thereby enabling users to navigate the site and locate relevant information with ease. www.cpifinancial.net supplies the tools considered necessary for bankers to maintain a competitive advantage. In tandem with this news content, readers can subscribe to a number of dedicated sector newsletters and receive monthly updates of the latest news delivered directly to their desktops.