Options on Market Vectors-Solar Energy ETF Begin Trading on CBOE®

Options on Market Vectors-Solar Energy ETF Begin Trading on CBOE®

NEW YORK--May 20 2008 --The Chicago Board Options Exchange® (CBOE®) has launched trading in options on Market Vectors-Solar Energy ETF (KWT), an exchange-traded fund. KWT options began trading on May 12.

The options trade on the January expiration cycle with initial expiration months of June, July, October and January. Strike prices range from 35 to 45 in one-point intervals. Position limits have been set at 2,500,000 shares. The Designated Primary Market Maker is Group One Trading, LP.

KWT seeks to replicate as closely as possible, before fees and expenses, the price and yield performance of the Ardour Solar Energy IndexSM (Bloomberg ticker: SOLRX), the pure-play leader in tracking the global solar energy industry. SOLRX includes only those companies that generate at least 66% of their revenues from solar energy. On an index-weighted basis, its constituents derive well over 90% of their revenues from solar energy. The Index was launched in April 2008 and includes many companies of global prominence—such as First Solar, Q Cells and Renewable Energy.

SOLRX is published by Ardour Global Indexes, LLCSM and is a member of the Ardour FamilySM of Alternative Energy Indexes, which serve as leading alternative energy industry benchmarks.

KWT shares trade on the American Stock Exchange® (Amex®). Van Eck Associates Corporation is the investment adviser for KWT.

About the Chicago Board Options Exchange®

CBOE®, the largest U.S. options marketplace and creator of listed options, is regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Since founding the listed options business in 1973, CBOE® has been the leader in options volume every single year. In 2007, CBOE® options contract volume reached an all-time record of more than 944 million contracts. For more information on the CBOE®, please visit www.cboe.com.

About the Ardour Solar Energy IndexSM (SOLRX)

The Ardour Solar Energy IndexSM is a rules-based, modified global-capitalization-weighted, float-adjusted index intended to give investors an efficient means of tracking the overall performance of a global universe of listed companies engaged in the solar industry. The Index is weighted based on the market capitalization of each of the component stocks, modified to conform to various asset diversification requirements, which are applied in conjunction with the scheduled quarterly adjustments to the Index. Index values are calculated on both a price-only and total-return basis.

About Ardour Global Indexes, LLCSM

Ardour Global Indexes, LLCSM was founded in 2005 for the express purpose of developing bench-marking tools for the global alternative energy industry. It is a partnership between Ardour Capital Investments, LLC, a premier investment bank specializing in alternative energy finance, and S-Network Energy Technologies, LLC, a developer of indexes and investment products focused on both traditional and alternative energy.

Ardour Global Indexes, LLCSM and Ardour Solar Energy IndexSM are service marks of Ardour Global Indexes, LLCSM and have been licensed for use by Van Eck Associates Corporation in connection with Market Vectors–Solar Energy ETF (KWT). KWT is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Ardour Global Indexes, LLCSM and Ardour Global Indexes, LLCSM makes no representation regarding the advisability of investing in the KWT. The Ardour Solar Energy IndexSM is calculated by Dow Jones Indexes. Van Eck’s Market Vectors–Solar Energy ETF (KWT), based on the Ardour Solar Energy IndexSM, is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Dow Jones Indexes, and Dow Jones Indexes makes no representation regarding the advisability of investing in KWT.

About Van Eck Global

Founded in 1955, Van Eck Associates Corporation was among the first U.S. money managers helping investors achieve greater diversification through global investing. Today the firm continues the 50+ year tradition by offering global investment choices in hard assets, emerging markets, precious metals including gold, and other specialized asset classes.

Market Vectors exchange-traded products have been offered by Van Eck Global since 2006 when the firm launched the nation’s first gold mining ETF. Today, Market Vectors ETFs and ETNs span several asset classes, including equities, municipal bonds and currency markets.

Van Eck Global also offers mutual funds, insurance trust funds, separate accounts and alternative investments. Designed for investors seeking innovative choices for portfolio diversification, Van Eck Global’s investment products are often categorized in asset classes having returns with low correlations to those of more traditional U.S. equity and fixed income investments.

KWT is subject to risks associated with the stock market, index tracking, sector investing, investing in small- or mid-cap companies, foreign investments, replication management, non-diversified investments, absence of prior active market, trading issues, fluctuation of net asset value and risks of investing in solar energy investments. Because of their narrow focus, sector investments tend to be more volatile than investments that diversify across many sectors and companies.

Fund shares are not individually redeemable and will be issued and redeemed at their NAV only through certain authorized broker-dealers in large, specified blocks of shares called “creation units” and otherwise can be bought and sold only through exchange trading. Creation units are issued and redeemed principally in kind.

Investors may call 1.888.MKT.VCTR or visit www.vaneck.com/kwt for a free prospectus. They should consider the investment objective, risks, and charges and expenses of Market Vectors-Solar Energy ETF carefully before investing. The prospectus contains this and other information about KWT. Please read the prospectus carefully before investing.

Please call 1.888.MKT.VCTR or visit www.vaneck.com/kwt for the most recent month-end performance of Market Vectors-Solar Energy ETF. This information will be available no later than seven business days after the most recent month end.

Contacts MacMillan CommunicationsMike MacMillan or Lindsey Wetmiller, 212-473-4442Lindsey@macmillancom.com