Dubai, United Arab Emirates: February 23, 2014 - Zawya Limited, a Thomson Reuters company and leading online business intelligence platform in MENA, has signed an agreement with ProTenders, to become the sole distributor in the region of its online portal: a cloud-based eTendering hub that enables construction-industry companies to easily find each other; build relationships; share information openly; and efficiently and securely negotiate their products and services.

With over $12.4 billion in processed bids for 730 companies since 2009, ProTenders, operating in MENA under the Monaqasat brand, has become a widely used construction-tendering platform in the region. The switch to the global ProTenders brand, accompanied by product enhancements, will be implemented in MENA during the first quarter of 2014.

Nadim Najjar, Managing Director, Middle East, Africa and Russia / CIS, Thomson Reuters, said: "This exclusive agreement means that Zawya will manage distribution of ProTenders' innovative and unique e-tendering portal in the MENA region. This collaboration complements the Zawya Projects platform that already covers a live database of thousands of construction projects as well as intelligence on the owners, developers, and subcontractors across MENA markets".

He added, "ProTenders enhances Zawya's proposition by enabling construction professionals to research and utilise the intelligence Zawya Projects provides in order to maximise MENA private bid opportunities more efficiently via the ProTenders portal at the pre-construction stage".

Karim Helal, Co-Founder and CEO of Pro Tenders (Monaqasat), said: "ProTenders brings together every category of organization in the construction industry, enabling developers and contractors to obtain reliable prices quickly and cost-effectively, while providing suppliers with the tools and opportunities to generate a stream of ongoing work. In addition, our platform increases efficiency, allowing our customers to save time and reduce costs, by gathering companies, information, and communication and process-management tools together in one place."

Zawya covers a wide range of specialized content and tools on various asset classes, markets, industries, companies, projects, and tenders, enabling its network of professionals to find and connect to the right business and investment opportunities in the MENA region.

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About Zawya Limited
Zawya is the leading online business intelligence platform focusing on the Middle East & North Africa. Zawya's wide range of unique content and tools include detailed profiles on the top companies in the Middle East and North Africa, live news, comprehensive industry and asset class research, regional project opportunities, as well as an exclusive online network for professionals focusing on the region. Thomson Reuters has acquired Zawya Limited in 2012.

Thomson Reuters
Thomson Reuters is the world's leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals. We combine industry expertise with innovative technology to deliver critical information to leading decision makers in the financial and risk, legal, tax and accounting, intellectual property and science and media markets, powered by the world's most trusted news organization. Thomson Reuters shares are listed on the Toronto and New York Stock Exchanges (symbol: TRI). For more information, go to www.thomsonreuters.com.

About ProTenders
Established in Abu Dhabi in 2009, ProTenders envisions a construction industry in which the barriers to efficient, open collaboration have been removed, so that companies in every sector of the industry can improve their profitability. Its SaaS platform benefits every category of construction organization, providing tools that work for small firms as well as big, for project owners as well as subcontractors, enabling them all to buy better and sell more. In its first five years of existence, it brought together 730 companies who managed US$12.4 billion dollars' worth of tenders; and was recognized with local, regional and international awards, including the Best eBusiness Solution by the UN-sponsored WSA Awards in 2012.

CONTACT
Tarek Fleihan 
Head, Corporate Communications & Public Relations
Middle East, Africa & Russia / CIS
Thomson Reuters 
Tel: +97144536527  / Mobile: +971562162575 
Email: tarek.fleihan@thomsonreuters.com

© Press Release 2014