Press Release

11 October 2006

Mohammed Jameel and Abdul Latif Jameel Group

House of Lords

The House of Lords today overturned decisions of Mr. Justice Eady and the Court of Appeal in relation to an action for libel brought by Saudi Arabian businessman Mohammed Jameel and Abdul Latif Jameel Co Ltd, the leading company within the internationally trading Abdul Latif Jameel Group.

Mohammed Jameel said today:

"What the Wall Street Journal Europe wrote in February 2002 was that the bank accounts of the ALJ Group were being monitored at the request of the US authorities. That was not true. Mr Justice Eady and the Court of Appeal ruled that I was libelled. The House of Lords ruled that I was not, because it was reasonable for the Wall Street Journal Europe to print something that was false. So be it. I was only ever interested in proving that the allegations were untrue."

Note to Editors:

1. At the trial heard by Mr Justice Eady with a jury, Mohammed Jameel was on 19 December 2003 awarded £30,000 libel damages and Abdul Latif Jameel Co Ltd £10,000.
   
   
2. The decision and award were unanimously upheld by the Court of Appeal on 3 February 2005.
   
   
3. The Abdul Latif Jameel Group was founded in Saudi Arabia in 1945. It is the largest independent distributor of Toyota and Lexus vehicles in the world, with interests in Saudi Arabia, the Middle East, Africa, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan and China.

Enquiries to Andrew Stephenson