QATAR, 28 July 2008 - Aon Middle East has been authorised by the Qatar Financial Centre Regulatory Authority (QFCRA) to operate in Qatar.

This follows the opening of Aon's regional headquarters in the Dubai International Finance Centre (DIFC) last month. Aon was also one of the first international brokers to be awarded a licence by the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority in May.

The authorisation by the QFCRA  adds to Aon's extensive network of operations in the Middle East including operational offices in the UAE (Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi), Saudi Arabia (Riyadh, Jeddah, Al Khobar), Bahrain and Oman (Muscat, Salalah) and developing offices in Kuwait.

Latif AlRayes, CEO of Aon Middle East said: "We are delighted to join other distinguished financial, insurance and brokerage firms that are operating within the Qatar Financial Centre.

"Aon is committed to the Middle East. We are the leading insurance broking and consulting firm in the region and have had operations here for over 30 years during which time we have developed close and effective client relationships.

“The Middle East, and in particular to Qatar, will be one of the fastest-growing regions in the world over the next few years. High oil prices have opened up the opportunity to exploit untapped energy sources and the increasing emphasis on natural gas has prompted massive investments in natural resources and infrastructure projects. This coupled with strong demographic growth in the region is increasing demand for insurance. The region is therefore of great strategic importance and Aon recognises the importance of being a leader of the market."

Massoud Shaheem, CEO of Aon Risk Services, Middle East commented: "The Qatari economy is enjoying an exciting period of growth. The ever-growing sophistication of our region plus the significant role of Qatar in the Gulf Cooperation Council strongly encouraged Aon to establish a base in the QFC.

"Aon is dedicated to introducing new areas of expertise and providing the highest level of insurance broking and risk consulting services in Qatar and the wider region to our clients."

Phillip Thorpe, QFCRA Chairman and Chief Executive added: "We are delighted to see the continued growth in the numbers of major global institutions seeking to operate in the QFC. The presence of Aon Qatar and the other leading institutions operating under the QFC umbrella is an endorsement of our commitment to international standards and first class regulation. We are confident that these firms will contribute to the development of our financial services sector, bringing new products and services to Qatar and supporting the continued growth of the country's economy."


For more information contact:

Reuben Aitchison                                          David Skapinker
+44 (0)20 7086 7201                                    +44 (0)20 7505 7479
Reuben.aitchison@aon.co.uk                     David.skapinker@aon.co.uk
http://aon.mediaroom.com                    http://aon.mediaroom.com

 About Aon

Aon Corporation (NYSE:AOC) is the leading global provider of risk management services, insurance and reinsurance brokerage, human capital and management consulting. Through its 36,000 colleagues worldwide, Aon readily delivers distinctive client value via innovative and effective risk management and workforce productivity solutions. Our industry-leading global resources, technical expertise and industry knowledge are delivered locally through more than 500 offices in more than 120 countries. Aon was named the world's best broker by Euromoney magazine's 2008 Insurance Survey. In 2008 Aon was ranked as the world's largest insurance broker based on brokerage revenues by Business Insurance. Aon also was ranked by A.M. Best as the number one insurance broker based on brokerage revenues in 2007 and 2008, and was voted best insurance intermediary, best reinsurance intermediary, and best employee benefits consulting firm in 2007 by the readers of Business Insurance. For more information on Aon, log onto www.aon.com.

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