CHICAGO, Oct. 24 -- R. R. Donnelley & Sons Company has signed a joint venture agreement with Mr. Khalid Abdulla Al Ghurair of Al Ghurair Printing and Publishing Ltd., a member company of the Al Ghurair Group, to form Al Ghurair Donnelley LLC. The agreement, which is effective immediately, gives both companies exclusive access to an unmatched set of printing and financial communications resources that extend from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Asia Pacific, Europe and North America. Al Ghurair Printing and Publishing is the leading financial and commercial printer in the UAE, with a comprehensive print and finishing platform in Dubai. RR Donnelley is the world's premier full-service provider of print and related services, including a worldwide financial printing business. RR Donnelley Financial Services, with a network that spans 42 countries and 6 continents to serve the world's financial centers, is the recognized leader in Asia Pacific and EMEA for the project management and printing of the region's Initial Public Offerings, mergers, equity and debt offerings, and US compliance filings. RR Donnelley's Financial Services business has passed the rigorous Type II audit of SAS 70. "The Dubai International Finance Exchange (DIFX) has stated very clearly that it plans to be the leading exchange in the region, positioned as it is between Western Europe and East Asia. As Capital markets activity increases and many of our clients establish a base in Dubai, we consider it important to have a significant capability in the region" said Tom Juhase, President of RR Donnelley's Financial Services business. "By combining Al Ghurair's printing facility with an RR Donnelley Service center, we are able to offer local transaction management and printing." "I believe that this exclusive agreement will benefit the corporations planning to offer shares on the DIFX and members of their advisory groups, such as investment banks and securities law firms, as they gain direct access to the full global capabilities of RR Donnelley," said Kishor Gohil, General Manager of Al Ghurair Printing and Publishing Ltd. "Our clients will benefit from the industry's leading composition network, virtual data rooms to support transactional deals and electronic solutions that include XBRL filing alternatives. This aligns perfectly with our goal to support our clients' need for creativity, innovation, value and control." "This joint venture gives us a strong and immediate presence in Dubai's fast growing business and financial sectors," said Mark Williams, international Vice President for RR Donnelley Global Capital Markets. "This agreement with Al Ghurair will enable us comprehensively to target the Gulf Cooperating Council (GCC) region with a capability to offer document creation and printing in both Arabic and English. With Al Ghurair's distribution ability throughout the GCC region and RR Donnelley's global network we will be able to distribute prospectuses wherever in the world they are required. As an industry leader in financial print, translation services, and electronic solutions, we quickly will create value for our clients."