Brussels, February 8, 2006 - RHJ International (EURONEXT: RHJI) announced today that it is part of an investor group led by Ripplewood Holdings LLC, a leading U.S.-based private equity firm, and including Eton Park Capital Management as well as other investors, that has acquired from the National Bank of Egypt a 18.7% stake in Commercial International Bank (Egypt) S.A.E. ("CIB") in cash for EGP 53.50 per share. The investor group's total investment is valued at EGP 1.3 billion ($227.6 million at an exchange rate of EGP 5.7225 per USD).

Headquartered in Cairo, Egypt, CIB is the number one private sector bank in the country, with total assets of EGP 30 billion ($5.2 billion). CIB is the most profitable bank in Egypt, achieving net income of EGP 610 million ($106.6 million) in its last fiscal year. CIB was incorporated in 1975 as a joint venture between the NBE and Chase Manhattan Bank, and has traditionally been one of Egypt's leading commercial banking institutions. CIB is publicly traded in Cairo (Ticker: CMIB), Kuwait, and Abu Dhabi, and through its GDR shares in London, with total market value at approximately EGP 8 billion ($1.4 billion).

RHJ International invested EGP 263.4 million ($46 million), not including fees and expenses, as part of the acquisition, representing approximately a 3.8% stake in CIB. The other members of the investor group will provide the remaining equity financing. Timothy C. Collins, who serves as Chief Executive Officer of RHJI and CEO of Ripplewood Holdings LLC, will join the Board of Directors of CIB on behalf of the investor group together with Robert Willumstad, former President and Chief Operating Officer of Citigroup, and Lucio Noto, former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Mobil Corporation.

"We at RHJI are excited about this transaction because CIB represents a unique opportunity to invest in Egypt's premier financial institution with significant upside potential for our shareholders " Mr. Collins said.