BNP PARIBAS GROUP: BNP Paribas and Sahara Bank enter into a strategic partnership to develop cooperation in Libya

BNP Paribas has been chosen by the Libyan authorities to become the
strategic partner of Sahara Bank, the first privatized bank in Libya.

After obtaining all authorizations required by regulation, BNP
Paribas acquired 19% of Sahara Bank's capital on September 18, 2007.
This assumption of a shareholder interest is taking place in
accordance with the agreement signed on July 25 with the Social
Economic Development Fund, and will allow BNP Paribas to increase its
holding to 51% of the share capital within three to five years.

Consequently, the bank's general shareholders' meeting of September
18 elected the following Board of Directors:

- Mr. Abdullatif Abdulhafiz EL KIB, Director
- Mr. Roger DECOT, Director
- Dr. Salem Meftah EL GHUMATI, Director
- Mr. Francis HARTMANN, Director
- Dr. Khalid KAWAN, Director
- M. Nasri Victor MALHAME, Director
- Mr. Jean-Jacques SANTINI, Director

The Control Committee will be made up of:

- Mr. Mahmoud EL BORAIY, Chairman
- Mr. Philippe AUDEBERT, Member
- Mr. Yves de MONIE, Member

Meeting upon completion of the General Shareholders' Meeting, the new
Board of Directors made the following appointments:

- Mr. Abdullatif Abdulhafiz EL KIB, Chairman
- Mr. Roger DECOT, Vice Chairman
- Mr. Claude RUFIN, Chief Executive Officer
- Mr. Mohammed BAKKAL, Deputy Chief Executive Officer

BNP Paribas and Sahara Bank will develop numerous areas of synergy
within the framework of this partnership. BNP Paribas will:

- share its knowledge in the areas of retail banking (products and
services intended for private, professional, and corporate clients,
and specifically the development of a consumer credit offer), project
finance, and international trade finance,
- contribute to the modernization of support functions, including
information technology, risk management, and organization,
- participate in the professional training of Sahara Bank employees.

Through this partnership, Sahara Bank will now accelerate its
development and seize the new opportunities offered by the Libyan
economy's rapid growth and the opening of its markets to
international operators. For its part, BNP Paribas has from now on a
unique platform in the Mediterranean basin, one of its priority
growth regions.

About Sahara Bank
Sahara Bank (www.saharabank.com.ly) is a Libyan universal commercial
bank with 1,500 employees and has the largest bank's capital in
Libya. It holds a market share of 17% for loans and 22% for deposits.
Its customers, whom it serves through a network of 48 agencies
distributed throughout the country, include large national companies,
private enterprises, both Libyan and foreign, and over 300,000
private or professional clients. With BNP Paribas's support and
particularly its product expertise and knowledge of cross sales,
Sahara Bank's development prospects are promising.

About BNP Paribas
BNP Paribas (www.bnpparibas.com) is a European leader in global
banking and financial services and is one of the 5 strongest banks in
the world according to Standard & Poor's. The group is present in
over 85 countries, with 155,000 employees, including 123,000 in
Europe. The group holds key positions in three major segments:
Corporate and Investment Banking, Asset Management & Services and
Retail Banking. Present throughout Europe in all of its business
lines, the bank's two domestic markets in retail banking are France
and Italy. BNP Paribas also has a significant presence in the United
States and strong positions in Asia and the emerging markets.

Press Contact
BNP Paribas
Isabelle Wolff +33 1 40 14 65 16 isabelle.wolff@bnpparibas.com
Sahara Bank
Ramadan G.Alsharif +218 214 44 69 36 ramadan@saharabank.com.ly

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http://hugin.info/134871/R/1158265/224001.pdf