Dubai International Capital's Global Strategic Equities Fund Acquires Substantial Stake in Sony Corporation

Third Investment in a Global Fortune 500 Company and First in Japan

    DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Nov. 26 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- NewDawn GSE
 Asset Management Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of DIC Asset Management
 ('DICAM') and the General Partner for the US$2 billion Global Strategic
 Equities Fund ('GSEF'), today announced that it has made a substantial
 investment in Sony Corporation ('Sony'), one of the world's premier
 consumer electronics and entertainment companies. The investment is the
 third by GSEF in Global Fortune 500 companies following the recent purchase
 of substantial stakes in HSBC Holdings plc and EADS N.V.
 
     Sameer Al Ansari, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of
 Dubai International Capital LLC, said: "Sony provides GSEF with a
 compelling investment case, consistent with our mandate of supporting
 premier global companies. Whilst the restructuring process at Sony is well
 advanced, the recent successful listing of Sony Financial Holdings is
 evidence of management's ongoing strategy of focusing on capital efficiency
 and cash generation. The combination of Sony's truly global brand, its
 leadership in product design and its global footprint will spur the
 business' medium term growth as it capitalises on positive underlying
 trends and emerging technologies."
 
     GSEF is promoted by DIC Asset Management ('DICAM'), the asset
 management subsidiary of Dubai International Capital ("DIC"). The fund
 seeks to become a leading shareholder in pre-eminent global large
 capitalisation stocks, whilst aiming to create value through long term
 exposure to a concentrated portfolio of undervalued companies. NewDawn GSE
 Asset Management Limited, a wholly- owned subsidiary of DICAM is the
 General Partner for GSEF. DICAM and NewDawn GSE Asset Management Limited
 are licensed and regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA)
 and GSEF is a DIFC registered fund.
 
     Notes to Editors:
 
     About Dubai International Capital LLC:
 
     Established in 2004, DIC is a Dubai-based international investment
 company. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Dubai Holding. DIC manages an
 international portfolio of diverse assets that provide its stakeholders
 with value growth, diversification, and strategic investments and
 relationships.
 
     DIC's investments have included: GBP 800 million acquisition of The
 Tussauds Group (UK), one of the largest operators of visitor attractions in
 Europe and its subsequent partnership with Merlin Entertainments Group
 "Merlin" which positioned the combined Group as the world's second biggest
 visitor attractions operator after Disney. DIC retained a 20% stake in the
 combined company.
 
     DIC's investments also included the GBP 675 million acquisition of
 Travelodge (UK), Britain's fastest growing budget hotel company, US$ 1
 billion stake in DaimlerChrysler, one of the world's leading carmakers; GBP
 700 million acquisition of Doncasters Group (UK), an industrial
 manufacturing firm that produces precision engineering components across
 various industrial sectors; and EURO 850 million acquisition of Mauser AG,
 a world market leader in industrial packaging with approximately 3,700
 employees operating in more than 50 locations across Europe, North America,
 Latin America and Asia.
 
     Most recently, DIC has acquired a 9.9% outstanding equity stake in
 Och-Ziff, a leading institutional alternative asset management firm and one
 of the largest alternative asset managers in the world in parallel with its
 initial public offering. DIC acquired Almatis, the global leader in the
 research, development and production of specialty alumina materials used in
 various industrial manufacturing processes. DIC also recently acquired for
 GBP 600 million Alliance Medical, the leading provider of diagnostic
 imaging services to the European healthcare sector. DIC's public equities
 investments include a 2.87% stake in ICICI, Bank Limited ('ICICI'), the
 leading Indian financial services firm.
 
     DIC is also a substantial investor in the Middle East and North Africa
 (MENA) region. Investments include a significant stake in the Rivoli Group,
 one of the Gulf Co-operation Council's (GCC) leading luxury retailers with
 over 215 outlets; Ishraq, a US$150 million investment company that was
 formed to bring the Holiday Inn Express brand of hotels to the GCC except
 Saudi Arabia; and the MENA Infrastructure Fund, a US$500 million fund
 targeting investment opportunities in infrastructure projects in the MENA
 region. In 2005, DIC launched Jordan Dubai Capital, a US$300 million
 investment company that targets private equity opportunities in the
 Jordanian economy. DIC is also a founding shareholder of Dubai Aerospace
 Enterprise, a company building a global aerospace corporation that
 encompasses aircraft leasing, manufacturing, services, airports and
 education. In addition, DIC has a joint venture with CBRE that provides
 real estate asset management services in Dubai and the broader Middle East
 region.
 
     Information about Dubai International Capital LLC is available at:
 http://www.dubaiic.com .
 
     About Sony Corporation:
 
     Sony Corporation, established in Japan in May 1946, is a leading global
 electronics manufacturer and entertainment company primarily focused on the
 electronics, game, entertainment, and financial services sectors. In
 Electronics, Sony's primary business, the company is engaged in the
 development, design, manufacture, and sale of various kinds of electronic
 equipment, instruments and devices for consumer and professional markets,
 including BRAVIA (TM) televisions and Cyber-shot(TM) digital still cameras.
 Sony's Game business, organized under Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.,
 develops, produces, markets and distributes video game hardware and related
 software under the PLAYSTATION (R) line, including the PLAYSTATION 3 ("PS3
 (TM)") game console which launched in November 2006. In entertainment, Sony
 is primarily engaged in motion picture and television production and
 distribution, music recording and music publishing. Sony Pictures
 Entertainment Inc. has released recent hit films such as Spider-Man 3 and
 Casino Royale. Sony's financial services business is organized under the
 financial holding company Sony Financial Holdings Inc. (SFH) that, through
 three main operating subsidiaries, offers life insurance, non-life
 insurance and banking services primarily to individuals in Japan. SFH
 shares were publicly listed and began trading on October 11, 2007.
 
     For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2007, Sony recorded consolidated
 annual sales of approximately $70.3 billion. Approximately 65.4% of sales
 and operating revenue is derived from Electronics, 11.7% from Game, 11.7%
 from Pictures, 7.5% from Financial Services and the remainder from other
 business segments. By geographic area, 26.9% of sales and operating revenue
 are from the US market, 25.6% from Japan, 24.6% from Europe and 22.9% from
 all other regions. Sony employs approximately 163,000 people worldwide.
 
 

     Fur further information, please contact:
 
      Dubai International Capital LLC
      Jehad Saleh
      Email: Jehad.Saleh@dubaiic.com
 
      Brunswick for Dubai International Capital LLC
      Alex Blake-Milton (UAE)
      Tel:    +97-1431-99-228
      Mobile: +97-1506-94-7589
 
      Tim Payne (China)
      Tel:    +852-3512-5066
      Mobile: +852-6104-6266
 
 

SOURCE Dubai International Capital LLC