merrill lynch strengthens middle east team with appointment of qatar specialist.

Merrill Lynch today announced it has strengthened its Global Wealth Management (GWM) Middle East team with the appointment of Mazin M. Al-Shakarchi as a financial advisor covering Qatar from the Bahrain office. Mr. Al-Shakarchi will report to Jonty Crosse, Resident Director for the Middle East, Global Wealth Management EMEA.

Mr. Al-Shakarchi has in-depth knowledge of the Qatari market. Before joining Merrill Lynch, he held several senior positions at leading Qatari banks, including Assistant General Manager, Investment Department at Qatar National Bank. In this role, he established the Fund Management Division and handled the first bank launch of a Qatari stock market fund. Additionally, he managed the International Share Trading platform, the Doha Stock Market brokerage office and the Initial Public Offering Department, where he helped launch some of the largest IPO's in Qatar's history.

Mr. Al-Shakarchi also held the position of Deputy General Manager, Treasury and Investments at the Commercial Bank of Qatar, where his career spanned 21 years. He holds an M.B.A in Finance from Indiana University, United States, and a B.A. in Business Administration from New England College, United States.

Commenting on the appointment, Jonty Crosse said,"Mazin has extensive experience gained during his many years in the financial services industry. I have known him professionally for more than 15 years, and I am confident his knowledge of both the international and local markets will further enhance the wealth solutions we offer our Qatari clients, allowing us to play an essential role in helping them achieve their life goals."

Core to GWM's presence in the region is its local expertise and access to Merrill Lynch's global resources, which provide its clients with innovative solutions to address international diversification needs as well as their increasingly complex financial requirements. GWM also has offices dedicated to Middle Eastern clients in Monte Carlo, London and Geneva.

Notes to EditorsMerrill Lynch is one of the world's leading wealth management, capital markets and advisory companies with offices in 38 countries and territories and total client assets of approximately $2.0 trillion. As an investment bank, it is a leading global trader and underwriter of securities and derivatives across a broad range of asset classes and serves as a strategic advisor to corporations, governments, institutions and individuals worldwide. Merrill Lynch owns approximately half of BlackRock, one of the world's largest publicly traded investment management companies with more than $1 trillion in assets under management.For more information on Merrill Lynch, please visit www.ml.com.

[c] 2008 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)