Wharton Global Family Alliance Announces Gift from Dubai
Dubai To Host WGFA First Annual Conference

February 26,2005 — The Wharton School today announced that Istithmar, the Dubai-based investment holding company, has made a generous 1 million US Dollar gift to the Wharton Global Family Alliance to support its objective of creating substantive new knowledge related to family businesses. The Wharton Global Family Alliance is the first global family consortium of its kind engaged in research, teaching, and outreach to create a distinctive resource for family businesses worldwide.

The gift coincides with the announcement of the Wharton Global Family Alliance Conference, the first gathering of family businesses from around the world, in Dubai next month. Presented by Istithmar, this private event will feature leading global families discussing critical family business issues.

Istithmar will also lend its expertise to collaborations with the Wharton Global Family Alliance Research Committee, which is comprised of prominent Wharton faculty members from several research disciplines who are building knowledge on such topics as corporate governance, business succession, wealth management and societal wealth creation. Wharton GFA lead faculty include Raphael (Raffi) Amit, Robert B. Goergen Professor of Entrepreneurship, and Ian MacMillan, Fred R. Sullivan Professor of Management.

”We share the goals of the Wharton Global Family Alliance as it pursues an ambitious research agenda related to family business,” said Sultan Bin Sulayem , Executive Chairman of Istithmar. “Dubai is an important center for international economic activity, much of which is impacted by family managed firms, so this relationship is quite fitting and rich with potential.”

“Dubai and Istithmar’s deep involvement with the Wharton Global Family Alliance accelerates our progress as we explore in new ways family business topics, said Prof. Amit, who serves as Chairman of the Wharton GFA Executive Committee. “With its innovative approach to economic development and its strong tradition of family business, Istithmar can make key contributions to our understanding of the topic.”

For more information visit the Wharton GFA website.

About Istithmar
Istithmar is a privately incorporated investment company based in Dubai. It was officially launched by The Corporate Office and The Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation (PCFC) in 2003 with investment capital of Dh7.3 billion (US$2 billion). Istithmar aims to develop businesses in various fields, including financial services, real estate, consumer and industrial sectors. Its investments to date have been made in Transworld, Dubai Security Services, Serco Gulf,