SABB final net div for 2H2007

HSBC Holdings PLC
11 December 2007


The following is a translation of a news release issued by The Saudi British
Bank (SABB), a 40 per cent indirectly-held associate of HSBC Holdings plc.

                 SABB RECOMMENDS FINAL NET DIVIDEND OF SAR2.22
                     PER SHARE FOR THE SECOND HALF OF 2007

The Board of Directors of SABB has recommended a final net dividend of SAR2.22
(US$0.59) per share for the second half of 2007. The total gross dividend for
the full financial year 2007 will amount to SAR1,500 million (US$400 million).
This follows the payment earlier in the year of an interim dividend for 2007 of
SAR1.535 (US$0.41) net per share.

The final net dividend of SAR2.22 per share will be distributed to shareholders
upon approval of the Board's recommendations at the bank's Annual General
Meeting, and the approval of the official authorities.

The SABB Board of Directors has also decided to recommend to an Extraordinary
General Meeting, scheduled to be held during the first half of 2008 after
obtaining the necessary regulatory approvals, the increase of SABB's paid
capital from SAR3,750 million (US$1,000 million) to SAR6,000 million (US$1,600
million), by issuing three bonus shares for each five shares held, an increase
of 60 per cent.


Note to editors:

HSBC Holdings plc
HSBC Holdings plc serves over 125 million customers worldwide through around
10,000 offices in 83 countries and territories in Europe, the Asia-Pacific
region, the Americas, the Middle East and Africa. With assets of some US$2,150
billion at 30 June 2007, HSBC is one of the world's largest banking and
financial services organisations. HSBC is marketed worldwide as 'the world's
local bank'.



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