Dividend Declaration

Banco Santander Central Hispano SA
08 February 2006




                                 MATERIAL FACT


Banco Santander Central Hispano, S.A. hereby notifies that as of 1st May next it
will pay a fourth dividend on the earnings obtained in the 2005 financial year,
for a gross amount of 0.13762 euros per share.

With the payment of this dividend (which will be the final dividend if the
proposal to be submitted to the General Shareholders' Meeting is approved), the
total dividend paid on the earnings for the past financial year amounts to
0.41650 euros per share, which is 25% higher than that received in respect of
the 2004 financial year.

On Tuesday 2nd May, the Bank's share will already trade ex-dividend.



                                 Boadilla del Monte (Madrid), 8th February 2005.







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