Mr. Andre Went, the CEO of the Qatar Exchange, stated that the Board of Directors has approved the appointment of Mr. Saif Khalifa al-Mansoori as Deputy CEO, Mr. Olivier Gueris as Chief Operating Officer and Mr. Karim P. Hajali as Chief Commercial Officer, adding that the three newly appointed personnel have significant experience in the international exchange industry.

Mr. Al-Mansoori has 10 years of experience at the Qatar Exchange, five years of which were spent as the Acting General Manager and another five years as Manager of the Trading Department and Audit, Surveillance and Inspection Department.

Mr. Gueris was previously Head of Market Operations at Turquoise Services, a London-based exchange. He also worked as Vice President, Market Operations at the Boston Options Exchange (BOX) and was in charge of International Business Development for GL Trade, a global provider of trading solutions. He was also actively involved in setting up operations for the Australian Derivatives Exchange and prior to that was the Head of Derivatives Market Operations for Euronext Paris.

Mr. Hajali was previously the Director of Equity and Index Derivatives Europe at NYSE Liffe (the derivatives business of NYSE Euronext), a Member of the Euronext Paris Executive Committee and an Observer on the Expert Committee of the CAC40 Index. Prior to that Mr. Hajali held senior positions at ING, Calyon and Barclays.

Commenting on these appointments, Mr. Went said: "These appointments add significant strength and depth to the senior management team at the Qatar Exchange. As we begin the transformation process and implement industry leading technology and standards, it is essential that we complement local talent and knowledge with international expertise. Mr. Al-Mansoori is one of the most experienced managers at the Qatar Exchange and his knowledge of both the business and local market is a great asset. I am also encouraged that our ambitious strategic visioision, coupled with our strong partnership with NYSE Euronext, means that we are able to attract industry-leading management from well-established international exchange businesses. Mr. Gueris and Mr. Hajali both have tremendous experience in building international exchange markets and we are delighted that they have been chosen to join the Qatar Exchange."

The strategic partnership agreement aims to promote and develop the Qatar Exchange by transforming it into a key center and regional base for investment in shares and financial instruments, not only in the GCC region, but also on a global level.