THE DEAL LLC'S ISLAMIC FINANCE SEMINAR PUTS A SPOTLIGHT ON OPPORTUNITIES AND RETURNS

September 29, 2005-New York, N.Y.-The Deal LLC, (www.TheDeal.com), the authoritative voice of the deal economy, today presents a breakfast event entitled Islamic Finance Seminar: Translating Opportunity into Return. Senior financial and investment banking executives with an interest in Islamic finance are attending the complimentary breakfast seminar at The Yale Club in New York City that opens with remarks by Abbas Mirakhor, senior director of the International Monetary Fund.

With the continuing rise of oil prices, the world of Islamic finance is becoming a significant force in the deal economy. Some tens of billions of dollars are held in Shariah- compliant funds, while Islamic banks manage hundreds of billions of dollars in capital. In a relatively short period of time, Islamic banking, finance and investment management have become firmly established in the economies of the Middle East and Europe, and are now rapidly making inroads in North America.

"The Deal's Islamic Finance Seminar provides the dealmaking community with an overview of trends in this emerging market, and helps explain the principles which guide Shariah-compliant finance," said Kevin Worth, CEO and president of The Deal LLC.

Recognized industry figures such as Islamic banking professionals, finance ministers, Middle East investors and legal experts will take part in two one-hour panels that will explore the trends, opportunities, challenges and the impact of Islamic finance on future investments, as well as the due diligence required to comply with religious, strategic and regulatory issues.

Keynote speaker Abbas Mirakhor will discuss where Islamic finance is going, exploring the convergence of Western and Islamic finance systems.

Isam Salah, partner at King & Spalding, will moderate both panels. The first will define the opportunities of Islamic finance, identifying the latest trends, products, and innovations. Panelists include Tariq Al-Rifai, marketing director at UIB Capital; Mustafa Al-Saleh, chairman of ADEEM Investment Co.; and John Lightstone, president of Lightstone Capital.

The second group of panelists, Abdi Shayesteh, financial specialist at Federal Reserve Bank of NY; Rehan Huda, president at Salam Financial; Paul Homsy, attorney at Guibord Homsy LLP; and Konrad Reuss, managing director at Standard & Poor's, will offer a legal and regulatory perspective of Islamic finance.

A respected group of corporate sponsors include: ADEEM Investment Co., Guibord Homsy LLP, King & Spalding LLP, UIB Capital and Islamic Banker as a media sponsor.

About The Deal LLC
The Deal LLC is a diversified media company that is the authoritative voice of the deal economy. We serve the global deal community - corporate and financial dealmakers, advisers and institutional investors - by providing business and financial news and information that offers fresh insights on the deal economy, a set of interrelated activities, focused on dealmaking of all kinds, whose purpose is to generate corporate growth in a continually changing global market. We offer a comprehensive line of print and electronic product and services for both readers and advertisers, including The Deal, The Daily Deal, TheDeal.com, Corporate Dealmaker, Tech Confidential, Corporate Control Alert, Auction Block, Bankruptcy Insider, Deal Focus and VCDeal.com. Investors in The Deal, a privately held company, include majority owner U.S. Equity Partners, a private investment fund sponsored by Wasserstein & Co. LP, and Rustic Canyon Ventures, one of the largest venture capital funds in Southern California.