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DBS - First bank to partner Singapore 2006

SINGAPORE, November 18, 2005 - DBS Bank Ltd (DBS) announced today that it will be a Lead Partner and the first bank partner for Singapore 2006 to be held in September next year.

Singapore 2006, which will have more than 16,000 delegates across the globe joining us, will be the largest financial sector event to be hosted by Singapore. The programme includes the 2006 Annual Meetings of the Boards of Governors of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group, as well as prominent international forums, meetings and seminars, and the inaugural Singapore 2006 Biennale.

DBS' partnership with Singapore 2006 celebrates the shared history and progress of Singapore since its independence in 1965, and of DBS since its establishment in 1968. A flagship programme of the partnership is the development and production of a specially-commissioned performance specially tailored for Singapore 2006 delegates. The main theme of the performance is development and progress, drawing a parallel to the histories of DBS and Singapore at the institutional and national levels. With its roots as a development bank that helped support Singapore's industrial growth, and one whose history has been fully intertwined with that of Singapore's, DBS fully appreciates how far the nation has come since its independence.

Jackson Tai, Vice Chairman and CEO of DBS, said, "Singapore 2006 will be one of the most prominent events on the international financial calendar next year. That Singapore is hosting an event of such global stature and scale reflects the country's standing as a vibrant and established financial centre. As the largest bank in Singapore and an Asia-banking specialist, we are proud to be a significant partner of Singapore 2006. We will do our part to ensure that Singapore 2006 will be memorable and successful."

Koh Yong Guan, Co-Chairman of the Steering Committee organising Singapore 2006, said, "We are delighted that DBS has come on board as the first Lead Partner bank. The support and involvement of the financial sector will help ensure the success of Singapore 2006 and profile Singapore as a vibrant international financial centre."

Formed in 1968 as a development bank, DBS helped to change the face of the financial sector in Singapore by breaking new ground on a number of fronts. DBS floated the first Asian Dollar bond issue, was the first to pay interest on current accounts through the Autosave scheme, first to introduce share applications through ATMs, first to underwrite an initial public offer in which subscribers are able to use their CPF funds to buy shares and the first to launch a REITs issue.

Said Tai, "As we expand in Asia, our aim is to extend the same spirit of innovation and progressiveness we've had since the bank's inception almost forty years ago to our banking franchise across the region."

About DBS

Headquartered in Singapore, DBS is one of the largest financial services groups in Asia. The largest bank in Singapore and the fifth largest banking group in Hong Kong as measured by assets, DBS has leading positions in consumer banking, treasury and markets, asset management, securities brokerage, equity and debt fund raising. Beyond the anchor markets of Singapore and Hong Kong, DBS serves corporate, institutional and retail customers through its operations in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, India and The Philippines. In China, the bank has branches and representative offices in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Fuzhou, Tianjin and Dongguan. The Bank's "AA-" and "Aa2" credit ratings are among the highest in the Asia-Pacific region. More information about DBS Group Holdings and DBS Bank can be obtained from our website www.dbs.com.

About Singapore 2006: Global City. World of Opportunities.

Singapore will host the Annual Meetings of the Boards of Governors of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group in September 2006. The Annual Meetings will be the largest international financial sector conference ever hosted by Singapore.

Along with the Annual Meetings, approximately over 200 meetings and seminars will also take place from September 13 to 20, 2006. These include the G-7 Finance Ministers' Meeting, the Program of Seminars, the Per Jacobsson Lecture and the Group of Thirty International Banking Seminar. The Annual Meetings, together with the series of prominent international forums, meetings, seminars, events and the inaugural Singapore Biennale 2006 (a 2-month visual arts extravaganza from September 4 to November 12, 2006), are collectively known as Singapore 2006.

Singapore 2006 is a showcase of Singapore's collective capabilities and an expression of our aspirations for the future - a global city with a world of opportunities. The series of events will highlight Singapore as a cosmopolitan society, and a dynamic, well-connected and entrepreneurial economy with tremendous opportunities in the financial, business, technology, social as well as arts and culture arenas.

Singapore 2006 is expected to attract more than 16,000 participants, including delegates from 184 countries such as heads of government, finance ministers and central bank governors, top financiers, international media, business leaders and other visitors.