Dow Jones Indexes, Bahrain Financial Exchange sign licensing agreement

Dow Jones Indexes, a leading global index provider, today announced that the Bahrain Financial Exchange (BFX), the first multi-asset exchange in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, has signed a licensing agreement to issue financial products based on the Dow Jones Kuwait Titans 30 Index, Dow Jones MSM Index (Muscat Securities Market), Dow Jones ASE 100 Index (Amman Stock Exchange), Dow Jones SAFE India Index and Dow Jones MENA (excluding Saudi Arabia) Index.

"We are delighted to work with BFX as it creates new opportunities for investors in this region," said Michael A. Petronella, president, Dow Jones Indexes. "These indexes measure important markets of interest to people in a region that we are committed to support in its expansion," added Petronella.

"This relationship with Dow Jones Indexes, the region's leading index provider, represents another significant step forward for the BFX and its members. With this collaboration, we are developing the preeminent exchange in the region which will provide a range of internationally recognized products and services to the financial sector," said Arshad Khan, managing director & chief executive officer of the BFX and the BCDC (BFX Clearing and Depository Corporation).

The Dow Jones Kuwait Titans 30 Index measures the performance of the largest and most liquid stocks trading on the Kuwait Stock Exchange. The Dow Jones MSM Index is a total-market index tracking stocks listed on the Oman Stock Exchange, Muscat Securities Market. A new component must trade at least 10 days in a quarter, and an existing component will be deleted from the index if it trades less than 7 days in a quarter. The Dow Jones ASE 100 Index measures the performance of the largest stocks traded on the Amman Stock Exchange. Component stocks are subject to screens for minimum size and liquidity. The Dow Jones SAFE India Index is composed of 50 securities trading in India; it is a subindex of the Dow Jones SAFE 100 Index. The Dow Jones MENA ex-Saudi Index measures the stock performance of companies in the MENA region, excluding Saudi Arabia. The index includes listings in Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Tunisia and the UAE.

As of November 5, 2010, the year-to-date performance calculated in USD for the Dow Jones Kuwait Titans 30 Index is 26.78%, Dow Jones MSM Index is 3.68%, Dow Jones ASE 100 Index is -7.73%, Dow Jones SAFE India Index is 25.71% and Dow Jones MENA ex-Saudi Index is 12.57%.