Yemen is looking to launch its stock exchange by the end of 2009 with the help of bourse operator Dubai Financial Market , the official UAE WAM news agency reported on Saturday.

Nine government firms will be selected to implement governance standards in order to list them on the bourse, WAM said, citing the undersecretary of Yemen's Ministry of Finance, Jalal Yaqoub.

Yaqoub said he had met with Essa Kazim, the executive chairman of the DFM, during a recent visit to Dubai. – Reuters