Etisalat seeks first credit rating by June

UAE telecom Etisalat said on Sunday it expects to get its first credit rating by the end of June in a bid to help its expansion overseas.

"In keeping with our future business plans and corporate strategy, we are in the process of being rated by three international agencies," Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Salem Ali Al-Sharhan told newswire Reuters.

Sharhan said the ratings would be ready towards the end of June.

Etisalat has said this year it is looking at expanding in Africa, Iran and India.

Etisalat also said on Sunday it had been approached by Iranian businessmen seeking to interest the state-controlled company in investing in Iran's telecommunications sector.

"We've been approached by some Iranian businessmen," Etisalat Chairman Mohamed Omran told Reuters. "But it is too early."

Omran declined to identify the Iranian businessmen.

An executive at Etisalat told Reuters earlier on Sunday the Abu Dhabi-listed firm had held talks with the Iranian regulator earlier this year about opportunities in Iran and is studying possibilities to enter the market.

Etisalat, the second largest mobile operator in the Gulf Arab region, is the latest Abu Dhabi corporate to seek a credit rating.

Mubadala Development Company, an investment agency for the government of the world's fifth largest oil exporter, said last week it was seeking its first rating in a bid to lower borrowing costs.

Standard and Poor's Rating Services assigned Aldar Properties, Abu Dhabi's largest real estate developer by market value, an A- long-term rating and Moody's Investor Services an A3 rating with a stable outlook in April.
/Arabian Business/

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Etisalat approves 35% cash divident

Etisalat has approved a 35% cash dividend to be distributed to shareholders, reported WAM. This is from the nominal share value for the second half of 2007. Etisalat also announced it is seeking to transform from an establishment into a company.

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Etisalat will offer spam protection to UAE customers

Etisalat announced today that will launch a new anti-spam service that provides its customers additional protection against the inconvenience caused by un-solicited SMS messages (spam) received from overseas sources.

The service is delivered by a software package called 'PolicyFilter SMS', from AdaptiveMobile that filters all Short Message Service (SMS) received by Etisalat's network from overseas sources, which aim to target Etisalat's 6.4 million users. The product identifies any international incoming SMS traffic considered as spam that could impact Etisalat's customers, causing inconvenience to the individual and a degradation of the quality of service delivered by the Etisalat network. The implementation in Etisalat's network ensures its customers are proactively protected from international SMS spam. The solution has been customised for the Arabian market using both Arabic and English languages.

Essa AlHaddad, Chief Marketing Officer, at Etisalat said:"Etisalat is extremely vigilant towards the protection of the individual and we rely heavily on the technology delivered by companies such as AdaptiveMobile to offer our customers total peace of mind. Our subscribers do not want to receive SMS spam and Etisalat's pro-active approach to security compels us to continually look at measures that can be adopted to maintain the quality of service on our network and that will support us in ensuring the well-being and satisfaction of our customers."

AdaptiveMobile provides unified mobile customer protection across all mobile technologies, security threats and media types. This includes protection against illegal or inappropriate content, viruses and malware, unsolicited messaging and unauthorised communications. It allows mobile operators to offer parental controls to protect minors, and to extend corporate security policies through to mobile assets. It works across all mobile services (WAP, SMS, MMS, email), all forms of access (mobile, including GPRS and 3G mobile, WiFi, WiMax) and for all media, including mobile Internet, text, images, music, voice and video.

Lorcan Burke, AdaptiveMobile CEO said: "As mobile operators worldwide continue to vie for customer attention, it is key that customers can feel instantly comfortable and protected through their choice of provider. These sorts of products can give an immediate competitive advantage within such a crowded market."

AdaptiveMobile has forged strategic partnerships with leading network infrastructure providers such as Cisco and HP, and has strong relationships with enterprise security companies such as Symantec, McAfee, Trend Micro, Sophos and Websense for anti-virus signatures, anti-spam and Internet categorisation filtering.

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Internet services in the UAE and international calls affected due to submarine cable breakdown

Etisalat, the Emirates Telecommunications Corporation today announced that internet traffic in the UAE and International calls have been affected due to breakdown of in the Mediterranean Sea, resulting from a major submarine cable cut located outside the UAE. Etisalat is working closely with the administration, partners, and concerned operators, for urgent repair work to ensure that the links with major global internet hubs are restored at the earliest.

The redundant links deployed by Etisalat for such an eventuality has meant that normal Internet browsing and essential traffic will continue to work at reasonable speeds for the company's customers.

The heavy investment by the Emirates Telecommunications Corporation in building a robust network with redundant links to major global Internet hubs in Asia, Europe, and USA, has ensured that the traffic can be re-routed, ensuring that Internet services can remain operational in the UAE.

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Etisalat records AED 7.3b net profits with 25% growth

Etisalat announced today the preliminary financial results of 2007 for the period ending on 31st December. Net profits reached AED 7.297b, 25% growth over 2006 which recorded AED 5.860b.

Etisalat also recorded AED 21.340b of net revenues for 2007, 31% growth over 2006 in which net revenues reached AED 16.290b. Total assets also increased from AED 45.9b in 2006 to AED 52.4b, with 14% growth. Earning per share has seen an increase from AED 1.17 in 2006 to AED 1.46 in 2007.

Mohammed Hassan Omran, Etisalat's Chairman, said, "Etisalat's operating performance for the year 2007 has been outstanding, with growth recorded in all major areas. Mobile connections have increased by 15% to reach 6.4 million lines. Fixed lines also increased by 3% and stood at 1.32 million lines. Internet connections now stand at 878,000 lines." (WAM)

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Sky is the limit, says Etisalat's CEO

Etisalat remains upbeat about growing its foreign portfolio, currently valued at Dh 36 billion, but there is no rush, said chief executive Mohammed Al Qamzi.

"We have no limits. When there is an opportunity somewhere, we go for it. The market value of Etisalat is rising by the day as we attract more and more customers. In Egypt we managed to attract some four million subscribers in six months and we are not working to our full capacity yet. We are aiming for further growth, but there is no hurry," Al Qamzi said in an interview published today by the Emirates Business newspaper.

Al Qamzi also talked about competition with the UAE's second operator Du, saying that the competition was so far non existent as the new operator is "still in the establishment phase. It has not reached the position where it can be a rival." following are excerpts from an interview Q: What do have to say about recent accusations related to the efficiency of your network and its inability to accommodate the new lines you have recently sold? It is not true that we have overloaded our network because the network has a bigger capacity than even several countries in Europe. And I believe you mean breakdowns and lack of coverage. This happened in the Global Village recently when it was difficult to make phone calls from there. It was because of a breakdown in transformers and has nothing to do with the network or its capacity. Also, in case of special events such as exhibitions or concerts, we send back-up vehicles with GSM systems to secure bigger coverage and boost capacity. We have deployed 47 such extra systems. And breakdowns happen for various reasons, including power failures and the difficulty of obtaining land from the municipality.

Q: What about congestion in the network during Eids and on important occasions? During Eid the problem is often of inefficiency of the receiving party network. The proof is that internal contacts do not face the same problems.

Q: You have obtained approval for new mobile prefix 056. What does this mean? It is natural to ask for a new code, and several countries have more than one code for mobile communications. We have asked for the new code to avoid increasing the number of digits in the 050 phone numbers to 10. The new code will make it easier for customers. And this has nothing to do with the capacity of the current code. We will introduce 056 soon.

Q: What is the capacity of the new code? Some ten million lines.

Q: Are you satisfied with the level of competition in the country's telecommunications market given that Etisalat and du are simultaneously delivering special offers? Until now, I have not seen any competition with the new operator, which is still in the establishment phase. It has not reached the position where it can be a rival.

Q: How has the new operator affected your work? Growth has not been affected with the introduction of the new company. Rather Etisalat has achieved higher growth rates than last year in the number of customers. This is what the figures have to say. Etisalat has managed to increase the number of subscribers. We have some one million new subscribers to our mobile phone services. The total number of subscribers is 6.3 million. This means the rate of spread of mobile phones on Etisalat?s network has reached 150 per cent, the highest in the world. We have 1.32 million fixed lines while the users of internet services are more than two million, with a rate of spread of 60 per cent, which is the highest in the region and the Middle East.

Q: There are allegations that Etisalat has become used to being a monopoly and has not taken care of its customers before the emergence of the new operator.

It is not true. We have to be fair here. Maybe you remember when Etisalat started its GSM service 12 years ago, the prices were high compared to now. We have voluntarily reduced the prices more than once, and before the emergence of the new operator. Also, international calls now cost less. A call to the United Kingdom now costs less than Dh3 a minute from some Dh12 previously. We have won the consumers? satisfaction because we offer quality services and keep our promises. There is no fairness in this accusation, especially with the pressures we are facing.

Q: What pressures are you facing? Etisalat is facing several pressures and has burdens that are not experienced by the other operator, such as government concession. And this is a fact. A study is underway to reduce the volume of government concession in Etisalat. Another burden is the free local calls from fixed telephones, and this adds greatly to costs because the network cost is very high. However, we recover these expenses from somewhere else. And we disburse huge amounts of money to cover this service. We are not aware of any other company offering this service for free. There is also the GSM coverage of remote areas in the deserts, mountains, sea and on roads where passengers hardly travel. And this costs us millions. In some countries, the service is only available in cities and main roads, and the operator does not commit itself to providing service in unprofitable sectors. Etisalat is not getting the appreciation it deserves in serving the consumer and the country.

Q: What are the negative effects of government concession, and how does it affect your development plans? The market is changing and more operators are expected. And Etisalat will definitely need more funds to keep pace and to execute its development programmes. Therefore I see that a reduction in the rate of government concession is inevitable. We have a long record of success and high growth rates. Etisalat's net profits in the first nine months of 2007 amounted to Dh5.5 billion. The market had responded positively last year: we had more customers and reached our targets in profitability and product development. Some results even exceeded forecasts.

Q: How was etisalat's performance in foreign markets? We have achieved considerable growth in foreign markets. It is not easy to enter new markets and to prove your efficiency within a short span of time. This growth has come even with the burden of government concessions.

Q: Are you planning further overseas expansion? Our focus at the moment is on Asia and Africa. I'm not in a position to reveal more.

Q: The total value of your foreign investments reached Dh36 billion recently. What is the figure now? We have no limits. When there is an opportunity somewhere, we go for it. The market value of Etisalat is rising by the day as we attract more and more customers. In Egypt we managed to attract some four million subscribers in six months and we are not working to our full capacity yet. We are aiming for further growth, but there is no hurry.

Q: Is there any possibility of the government giving up part of its 60 per cent stake in Etisalat? The state can decide what it deems fit. And it can invest in the sector it sees as appropriate. When we see that the time is suitable for new investors, we will not hesitate.

Q: There are expectations of a unified infrastructure for Etisalat and du. Is it possible? This expectation is far from logical for several reasons. The cooperation currently taking place is something common in all counties. It happens within commercial frames. However, a unified infrastructure for operators is unrealistic, especially in view of the fact that Etisalat has largely worked alone on the establishment of this infrastructure, which has won the first position in the Arab world with regard to network readiness.

Q: Will work be distributed between you and du on geographical basis, even partly? Under the licence, both companies can provide services all over the country. And this is what the (UAE Telecommunications Regulatory) Authority has said on several occasions despite the fact that no agreement on a link between the operators exists. So far we are not able to meet requests by customers who insist on having our services in areas we have not been able to reach for obstacles beyond our control. In this scenario, the principle of equal opportunities is somewhat impaired.

Q: From Etisalat?s point of view, what are the expected growth opportunities in the telecommunications sector in the country? The UAE market is almost saturated, but there is still some growth opportunity of ten per cent a year because of the state of the economic and construction boom in the country, as well as the growth of tourism. However, the growth margin will not continue forever, especially since mobile phone services alone has exceeded 150 per cent penetration. We will reach a saturation point. This means everybody has to benefit from the current state of growth in a carefully studied manner that should take the future scenario into account. Of late, Etisalat has been offering extra value and diverse services to meet subscribers? needs. It has invested in regional and world markets to create a balance in rates of growth, should the local market reach full saturation and go down.

Q: What is Etisalat's present position? Etisalat has reached a better phase and has gone international. There is a big difference between yesterday and today. Etisalat is now a leading provider of products and services and has a lot to offer to the consumer.

Q: What is the market response to third generation (3G) services? We have covered about 97 per cent of the UAE's populated areas and have some 1500 GSM stations. I believe that we have some 1.4 million 3G subscribers as well as 20,000 subscribers to the T Mobile service, which are higher figures of penetration than some European countries.

Q: How do you explain this growth? The quality of service attracts more people. We had achieved a GSM penetration rate of 100 per cent in 2004, which has not happened anywhere else in the world. Now it is around 150 per cent, which means we cover the whole UAE population. In Saudi Arabia, the average was 29 per cent before we entered the market. Now it has reached 92 per cent of the population.

Q: What services are you planning to introduce in the near future? The future belongs to the Internet Protocol system. In this regard we are installing a switchboard in Abu Dhabi and Dubai to serve all areas of the country. This will save us some 400 switchboards at the moment. Under this system fibre-optic cables will deliver [both businesses and residences] high speed Internet and television connections. The capacity is 100 megabytes for households and one gigabyte for companies.

Q: How many lines are you offering? Currently, we have some 7,000 lines that will be operational in the coming two months in Abu Dhabi, while Dubai will have three times the number. The service is now extended to all new areas and real estate projects. Over the next three years we will complete the entire project. And our prices will be highly competitive because new technologies offer you flexibility of installation, which means less cost. We actually have the infrastructure for underground fibre-optics and therefore the transformation will be easier. (WAM)

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Etisalat increases speed limit on information superhighway with 4Mbps Home Package

Catering to the needs of people with high-speed Internet requirements in their homes and on the move, Etisalat, the best overall operator of 2007 in Middle East, has introduced for the first time in the UAE the 4Mbps Al Shamil broadband package priced at Dh 449 per month for unlimited usage.

This is double the currently available maximum speed for residential packages, and will greatly enhance home Internet access for people who require high-speed connections for their work or entertainment. Etisalat is also enabling its high-bandwidth broadband Al Shamil customers with high-speed connectivity when they are outside their homes, with monthly 4-hour free usage at Etisalat Hotspots included with their subscriptions.

Essa Al Haddad, Chief Marketing Officer, Etisalat, said: "Our studies into consumer habits have shown that people are carrying out a lot of online activity from the comfort of their homes, and using multiple PCs and Laptops to stay in touch with family and friends or to benefit from the information superhighway with downloading of multimedia content, online gaming and much more. While our packages until now have enabled a number of people to benefit from access to high-speed Internet, we are now enabling customers with the high-speed and increased benefits of the 4Mbps package for those who wish to use high-bandwidth applications at home." Etisalat, voted by Windows Middle East readers as Best ISP of the Year 2007, assures customers that the new home 4Mbps package will bring a whole new online experience for home users, even enabling them to conduct a number of high-bandwidth activities simultaneously. The additional benefits available for all subscribers of the home 4Mbps package include 5 free email addresses and free Norton Internet Antivirus and Norton Internet Security.

Bringing further benefits of always-on, always-connected Internet to users of higher bandwidth Internet packages, Etisalat is also throwing open the benefits of the Etisalat Hotspot service (Public Wireless Internet, also known as WiFi) to high speed Al Shamil subscribers. All subscribers to Etisalat's 1Mbps, 2Mbps and 4Mbps Al Shamil packages will be able to enjoy 4 hours free browsing per month at more than 250 Etisalat Hotspot locations in the UAE. For usage exceeding the inclusive 4 hours, Al Shamil subscribers can access Etisalat Hotspots at rates as low as AED 6 per hour. (WAM)

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Etisalat offers off-peak rates today

Starting today, Etisalat is offering off-peak rates on all international calls. Whether calling from mobile phones or from fixed line telephones, all Etisalat customers can enjoy these savings.

Khalifa Al Shamsi, vice-president, Marketing, Consumer and SMB, Etisalat said, “We wish our customers a very joyful season. We are happy to extend this gesture to help them enjoy the holiday even more.”
The discounts on international calls from Etisalat phones will apply all day on December 25 and will last until 7am on December 26.
X’MAS AT IAS: The Indian Association Sharjah will hold Christmas Day Celebrations today at the Association Community Hall. Carol singing and Christmas tree decoration will be followed by a public meeting at 7.30pm. Source

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Etisalat confirmed 'Best Overall Operator in 2007' in Middle East

Etisalat was awarded 'Best Overall Operator in 2007' during an award ceremony organized by Arabian Business magazine held last night at the Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi.

Etisalat has now been named 'Best Overall Operator in 2007' twice in the same year. In November, Etisalat was awarded by the organizers of Telecom World Middle East Awards in for the same category.

Minister of Government Sector Development Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansouri presented the award to Mohammad Hassan Omran, chairman of Etisalat.

The Arabian Business Awards aim to recognize and award companies and organizations with exceptional performance and achievements based on the highest international and regional standards.
Al Mansouri, also Chairman of the UAE Supreme Committee for the Supervision of the Telecommunications Sector, congratulated Etisalat for being recognized as the Operator of the Year.
He said : ''This recognition once again highlights the achievements of Etisalat and its contribution to the development of all sectors of the UAE over the last 30 years. We are proud of all of our national companies that have helped to enhance the reputation of the UAE.' Mohammad Hassan Omran said: 'This award is a testament to the hard work of all of our staff in the UAE and across all the subsidiary companies which make up the Etisalat family of companies. Being recognized for the second time within such a short period of time as the 'Best Overall Operator in 2007' is a tremendous achievement and has set a new benchmark for ourselves and the industry.
''This supports the development of Etisalat's reputation as one of the leading telecommunication companies worldwide,'' he added. (WAM)

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Reach Etisalat through EON outlets

The telecommunication giant Etisalat has appointed EON, the region's smart home pioneer, as a key retailer for its products and services across the UAE.

Under the terms of the agreement, EON will offer customers direct and easy access to Etisalat products thought its outlets across UAE. The products include post and pre-paid mobile services, e-vision, and Al Shamil broadband. In addition, customers will also be able to pay their Etisalat bills at EON outlets. The agreement was signed by Leon Beuyukian, Chief Executive Officer at EON, and Essa Al Haddad, Chief Marketing Officer, Etisalat.
Essa Al Haddad said: "Expanding our presence across the UAE with key retailers such as EON enables us to join hands with partners and get closer to our customers. Our customers appreciate the option of accessing our services through different channels, and now EON stores are another easy way for our customers to reach us." Speaking on the agreement, Leon Beuyukian said that it would go a long way in advantaging EON consumers. "We believe that this agreement with Etisalat will allow EON consumers to have access not only to smart digital, consumer electronic and home automation hardware and integration services from EON but also the connectivity services needed to make all integration an effortless activity." While Etisalat is a leader in telecommunication, EON has a strong experience and extensive market penetration. EON opened its first store in Dubai's Mall of the Emirates, with a second store in Abu Dhabi's Al Wahda Mall, and a third store is scheduled to open this December in Dubai Festival City.
EON Holding Ltd was established in June 2006 in Dubai to offer Digital and Home Automation products to the GCC and Middle East markets. In October 2006, EON established it project arm EON-CIRCUIT FZE at Dubai Airport Free Zone, which was immediately awarded a project to automate a three floor office building in Dafza.(WAM)

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Etisalat named best telecom operator of the year in MENA

The 2007 has been named officially the year of Etisalat for its local and international successes in an award ceremony held Monday in Dubai.
The organizers of the Telecom World Middle East Awards presented Etisalat with the title *Best Overall Operator in 2007*.

The award was contended by all fixed and mobile network operators or service providers who have a service offering in the Middle East.
A panel of international judges reviewed the entries paying particular attention to excellence in quality of service, reliability and customer service as well as the operators ability to demonstrate a strong service portfolio, technological innovation and a strong management structure able to secure the future growth and development of the business.
Mohammad Hassan Omran, Chairman, Etisalat, said: "This award is a testament to the hard work of all of our staff in the UAE and across all the subsidiary companies which make up the Etisalat family of companies. It sets a new benchmark for ourselves and the industry, one which we will endeavor to raise higher again in 2008." Etisalat was highly rated on its ability to address customer needs in terms of service, reliability and customer service; to provide a strong and innovative service offering and for the leadership of its management which continues to inspire record Revenue generation and growth Mohammed Khalfan Al Qamzi, CEO, Etisalat, said: "This has been our year - with the local market seeing overwhelming growth in both mobile and Internet penetration and the explosive adoption of new value added services. With the successful restructuring and transformation of our company into a customer focused organsiation, we definitely see that 2007 has been the year of Etisalat." The Telecom World Middle East Award was organized by international conference planners Terrapinn and was attended by senior telecom industry figures from the Gulf, , America, Europe and Asia.
Mathew Wallhead, General Manager, Telecom World Awards, said: "On behalf of Terrapin I congratulate Etisalat on winning the *overall operator of the year*, an award they have earned for their successful transformation into a leading international operator, and establishing new quality benchmarks in the face of local competition."
'Terrapin established the Telecom World Awards Middle East to celebrate the achievements of operators in the MENA region. There were many excellent entries, which were reviewed in a very robust judging process. We would like to thank all those who participated in making this event a celebration of success,''he added. Source

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Etisalat now serves 6.3m mobile users

Etisalat has announced that its mobile customer base has crossed 6.3 million customers, making it the number one telecom operator in terms of mobile penetration in the world.
This achievement has been accomplished through a combination of best-of-breed technology, a commitment to providing the best services, and the presence of a workforce with immense experience.

Essa Al Haddad, Chief Marketing Officer, Etisalat, said: "At Etisalat, we are proud of this landmark - achieving one of the highest mobile phone penetration levels in the world. Etisalat's success story has been evident year after year, as we have been commended for our various achievements, capturing the attention of experts and analysts the world over. Over the past years, Etisalat has become a strong competitor to many of the biggest telecommunications corporations worldwide by following a policy of setting industry standards and matching the best of breeds operators worldwide even in the absence of local competition." "With Etisalat's extensive network, the UAE has become one of the most advanced countries in the world in terms of Network Readiness and excellent connectivity. Even with the presence of the second telecommunications operator in the country, Etisalat continues to record impressive growth rates. Etisalat has maintained its competitive edge through consolidation of services, development of many pricing strategies, customer reward promotions, and the launch of innovative new services." he added.
Al Haddad promised that Etisalat customers will always enjoy the newest and best telecommunication technologies. He also pointed out that Etisalat has played a major role at a regional level in terms of mobile services. Today, its achievements have grown from being the first operator in the region to launch GSM Mobile services in 1994, to being the pioneer in launching 3G services in 2003. In December 2004, Etisalat also became the first operator in the region to launch high-speed internet service over mobile (3.5G HSPA technology).
Al Haddad stated that Etisalat's 3.5G network has the widest coverage in the UAE. Etisalat now covers 97% of UAE's populated areas with 3G & 3.5G network. Through the 3.5G network, Etisalat offers some of the latest technologies & innovations including: High speed mobile Data Modem Etisalat has launched the latest mobile Data USB Modem, available for the first time in the country. The new USB modem and the latest version of the PCMCIA data card both bring speeds of up to 7.2 megabits per second (Mbps) in the downstream and up to 1.9 mbps in the upstream. Smaller than a standard PC mouse, this USB modem can be used with both laptop and desktop computers with USB ports, enabling true connectivity for the user.
MobileCAM Etisalat 3G MobileCAM provides anytime, anywhere access to video footage and video call services to a home or office. Etisalat 3G MobileCAM also allows customers to hold a conversation as the camera device has an installed microphone and speaker. The service permits users to nominate 20 pre-set users to view one MobileCam. A unique PIN number protection also offers the option to add or bar individual users, guaranteeing privacy. Etisalat 3G MobileCAM also has an automatic night mode option, an option to record footage, zooming and pan-tilt functionality and provides an all-round view.
Mobile TV service Unprecedented success also met Etisalat's Mobile TV service - which is available for all Etisalat customers. With 15 different channels to choose from, it allows mobile users with 3G enabled handsets to watch popular news, sport and entertainment content from some of the most popular Television channels, live on their phones. Today the service boasts over 230,000 subscribers.
In addition, Essa AlHaddad said that Etisalat has performed well in many areas of mobile technology by launching new services, constantly enhancing existing services, and introducing value added services to individual and business customers alike.
BlackBerry service Etisalat launched the BlackBerry service in May 2006, and was the first operator to offer this service in the Region. This powerful business tool is also offered for individuals in a service that can be linked to common email accounts such as Yahoo, Gmail or Hotmail. Today more than 30,000 business users and consumers enjoy a connected lifestyle while on the move. Balancing work with life, and getting the best out of both.
Pushmail Etisalat customers can send and receive emails from their mobile phones using Etisalat Pushmail service. This service complements Etisalat's other push email services, providing customers access to their email anywhere at any time.
Credit transfer Credit Transfer service is available to all of Etisalat's mobile phone subscribers that enable customers to transfer credit from one Etisalat mobile account to another for free.
This is another example of how our services constantly add convenience to our customers' lives.
Greetune Etisalat was the first operator in the region to enhance its Greetune service for both consumers and corporate customers. The Corporate Greetune service for business customers enables them to have their own tones and promotional messages as a ring back tone on the company's mobile phones, which could be played for particular groups at different days or time using the features of Grouping and Scheduling. Etisalat is the first operator in the region to offer its corporate customers the capability to use ring back tone feature to increase their brand awareness and open another channel for them to communicate with their customers.
Area Info service Etisalat's free popular Area Info service displays the area name, ensuring that unknown locations in the UAE are a thing of the past.
Location based services - Mobile Map This service enables customers to get their location through an SMS with place name and WAP link to view the map. Alternatively customers can receive MMS with maps of their location or nearby points of interest, which they can then forward to their family, friends and business partners by MMS or email. Source

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Etisalat places no limits on use of Wasel credit

Etisalat announced today that all Wasel customers enjoy unrestricted access to their recharged credit including any extra credit gained from recharging their account. As long as the customer's Wasel account subscription is valid, they may use their credit without any time limitation on its use.

Khalifa Al Shamsi, Vice President Marketing / Consumer & SMB - Etisalat, said: "We always seek to invest in long-term relationships with our customers to provide them with the greatest benefits and best services. Since the beginning, we have assured that all our customers recharged Wasel accounts - and the additional credit they gain from various promotions - are valid for the lifetime of the account and not restricted to any set period of time. We are committed to meeting the needs of our customers not just today but across the full lifetime of our relationship." "This is so our customers feel complete comfort and relief when making calls and not forcing them to consume their credit in a restricted period.", he added.
Etisalat launched a promotion since Ramadan that enables Prepaid Wasel mobile customers to get 10% extra credit on recharges of AED 100 or more. Also, customers who buy a new Wasel prepaid SIM card for the value of AED 165 will get free credit of AED 65.
Etisalat's Wasel customers can gain extra credit, when recharging their prepaid account through etisalat's online website, mobile payment service, Auto-pay service, at many banks located around country, and Emirates Post.
Etisalat has the broadest payment and credit recharge options in the country. The company offers seven different payment options which include the scratch cards and eVouchers available in 20,000 outlets across the country, Etisalat's online website, mobile payment service through *123#, Auto-Pay service which enables customers to specify the fixed weekly or monthly amount to be paid automatically with the use of their credit card, the public cash payment machine located in the main commercial areas, through Emirates Post, banks, and in addition to many Etisalat Business Centers. Etisalat has also made available to all its customers the money transfer service, where all mobile subscribers can transfer credit to any Wasel customer in the UAE. Source

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Etisalat will raise employee wages b 10%

Etisalat said on Tuesday it would raise employee wages by 10% next month to help retain and recruit staff in an increasingly competitive market.
Etisalat, which lost its UAE mobile phone monopoly to Du this year, did not say how much the scheme, effective November 1 and applying to all of its around 9,000 employees in the UAE, would cost.
Higher staff costs would place a further strain on Etisalat's margins, already under pressure from expansion costs, said Wael Ziada, a telecom analyst with EFG-Hermes investment bank.

The board approved the pay increase at a meeting on Monday, Etisalat said in a statement, adding it would also improve employee benefit packages, such as accommodation and education allowances.
The average total increase in an employee's salary and benefit package would be 25%, Etisalat said.
"These revised benefits and salaries are designed to provide well-deserved rewards to company employees, but also to allow Etisalat to maintain its leading position in this highly competitive field," Etisalat Chairman Mohammed Omran said in the statement.
Ahmed Bin Ali, Etisalat's vice-president of corporate communications, was not immediately available for comment on his mobile phone.
Analysts said the move as partially to respond to inflation, which is surging across the Gulf Arab region as economies boom on a quadrupling of oil prices since 2002, placing pressure on employers to raise wages.
In the UAE, annual inflation surged to a 19-year high of 9.3% last year - a level Standard Chartered Bank expects will be repeated this year, mainly driven by higher rents.
"The rate of inflation and low interest rates make pay increases a necessary step to retain employees," said Walaa Hazem, a telecom analyst at HC Securities investment bank in Cairo.
The UAE pegs its dirham currency to the sliding US dollar, and last month partially matched a US Federal Reserve interest rate hike.
Strained margins
Like other Gulf Arab telecom operators, Etisalat has been hunting for foreign assets to counter competition in its home market, where mobile penetration rates exceed 125%.
Staff costs probably account for between 20% and 30% of Etisalat's total costs, according to Ziada, of EFG-Hermes. Etisalat does not disclose breakdowns of its costs.
"This is going to place further pressure on margins that are falling on a quarter over quarter basis," Ziada said, estimating the margin on earnings before interest tax depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) could fall between 3% and 5% in the fourth quarter.
Etisalat started Egypt's third mobile phone firm in May, and runs networks through affiliates in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
In Africa, Etisalat operates in seven countries through its Atlantique Telecom unit. This week it took over Zanzibar Telecom in Tanzania, and bought 40% of a new Nigerian operator last month.
The company's net profit rose 14% in the third quarter, missing analysts forecasts. - Reuters

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Etisalat announces net profits of Dh 5.534 bn in Q3

Etisalat today announced its third quarter financial results for the nine-month period ending 30 September 2007. The corporation has seen growth in consolidated revenues of 30 percent compared to the same period in 2006, and net profits of Dh 5.534 billion.
Etisalat's consolidated revenues for the period was recorded at Dh 15.38 billion, showing an increase of Dh 3.57 billion, approximately 30%, over 2006 figures. Earnings Per Share rose to Dh 1.11 in the year to date from Dh 0.88 in Q3 2006. Net assets increased in value by 21% in the period, reaching Dh 25.828 billion by end of September 2007. Capital expenditure for Etisalat reached Dh 2.28 billion during this period.

Mohammad Hassan Omran, Chairman of Etisalat, said: "Etisalat today is in a powerful position. Our successes locally and internationally are proving our strategy has significant weight. We remain one of the most financially sound telecommunication groups and our reputation for leadership continues to grow across Asia, Africa and also within the Middle East. Our home business is continuing to grow, fuelled by our long-term vision and investment in the latest technologies, but our growth is now also being accelerated by our international subsidiaries." Etisalat's UAE operations continued to perform strongly with the number of mobile subscriptions exceeding the 6 million mark for the first time. Today Etisalat records 6.2m mobile customers, equivalent to a penetration of 147%. Etisalat also witnessed growth in fixed-line services with telephone subscriptions growing to 1.32m lines and Internet users growth to more than 2.5m.
Omran added: "During this period we have taken a controlling majority interest in Zanzibar Telecom Limited, Zantel. We also continue to invest in the roll out of services in our two most recent operations in Egypt and Afghanistan, which are performing strongly in their launch periods. We are also pleased to announce that we have agreed to acquire 40% of a Greenfield operation in Nigeria, which will bring our footprint to 15 countries in total." During the quarter, Etisalat's subsidiary in Egypt, Etisalat Misr was named New Operator of the Year by a panel of international judges, in a ceremony organized by Comms MEA magazine.
Mohammed Al Qamzi CEO of Etisalat added: "The UAE market continues to grow strongly, fuelled by new services, particularly in the mobile sector. We have introduced several convenient payment services in the period, including the calculation and payment of Zakat and road fines. We are now planning to introduce our Next Generation Network (NGN) services across the UAE, enabling us to offer bundled triple play services to over 100,000 households." Etisalat attended GITEX 2007 in September, participating in the GulfComms halls and launching many new services, products and alliances targeting the consumer and business customers. Source

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Etisalat holding special Eid activities at malls

Etisalat is organising a range of fun-filled activities in select shopping malls across the UAE in view of the Eid celebrations.
Apart from the off-peak charges for calls till 7am tomorrow (Monday), which have already been announced, Etisalat is organising activities for children like ‘Nintendo’ wireless games, face painting, singing and dancing competitions, balloon festival, drawing competitions and the opportunity to interact with live cartoon characters in Mall of the Emirates and Deira City Centre in Dubai, Marina Mall in Abu Dhabi and Sahara Centre in Sharjah.

These activities will run till 11pm tomorrow (Monday). These will be on from 11am to 10pm.
Activities being held for adults between 11am and 11pm include henna painting, ‘Xbox’ games, glass painting competitions, funniest picture competitions and poetry competitions.
Throughout the day, Etisalat services such as ‘MobileCam’ and mobile video calling will be used to link up with these locations to evaluate the contests as well as allow the participants to experience these services. Source

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Arabic BlackBerry arrives in UAE

The UAE's incumbent telco Etisalat, and the creator of the BlackBerry, RIM, have teamed up to launch the region's first fully Arabised BlackBerry push e-mail smartphone.
The localised BlackBerry 8700g features both an Arabic user interface and support forArabic text input, and is available immediately.
Using this device, Arabic customers are able to compose Arabic e-mails, browse Arabic websites and input Arabic text into personal information management (PIM) software applications.
On a corporate level BlackBerry's Enterprise Server software - which is used to sync ‘push e-mail' messages to a firm's BlackBerry user devices - integrates with IBM Lotus Domino, Microsoft Exchange and Novell Group Wise server environments and features a broad set of IT policy controls that allows IT departments to tightly manage their handset deployments. Source

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Etisalat allows calling even without credit

Etisalat customers using prepaid packages can continue using their mobile phones as normal for a value of up to Dh3 even after their phone calling credit has run out.
Customers using prepaid ‘Wasel’ and ‘Ahlan’ packages can make calls and send SMS and MMS even after they have run out of calling credit.
This facility will ensure that prepaid customers never get stuck in a situation where they are away from recharge facilities, and run out of calling credit. Dh3 is enough for talk time up to 12.5 minutes on a local call during off-peak hours. The advanced credit shall be recovered when the customer recharges next.

Etisalat’s Vice-President Marketing, Consumer, Khalifa Al Shamsi, said: “Our prepaid mobile customers do not need to fear that they cannot reach anyone when they run out of credit in a remote place with no access to credit recharge. With Dh3 worth of communication time, it is now as simple as calling someone and requesting a credit transfer of the required amount.”
When recharging Etisalat prepaid accounts, customers can choose from a range of options. These are the Online and Mobile Payment solutions, bank outlets and online facilities, Emirates Post outlets, Etisalat Cash Payment Machines, and the popular Credit Transfer Service, which enables Etisalat prepaid mobile customers to receive calling credit from both prepaid and postpaid customers.
As a special gesture to all its prepaid customers during Ramadan, all credit recharges of over Dh100 are being given 10 per cent extra credit for free, while all amounts below Dh100 are being given extra credit of five per cent. Source

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Etisalat Wins Enterprise Service Provider of the Year

At the inaugural ACN Arab Technology Awards for the Middle East held on Monday evening in Dubai,Etisalat won the the Enterprise Service Provider of the Year award demonstrating the culture of excellence and committment to customer service that the company has been known for.
Abdulla Hashim,VP,Marketing,Enterprise Solutions,Etisalat received the award from Walid Akawi, CEO of ITP Publishing.
The Enterprise Service Provider of the Year award demonstrates how a superior enterprise service provider works closely with a client in order to ensure customers receive the services they require to fulfil their business and technology needs .

"We are delighted to receive this award as it a testimony to the overall culture of customer service excellence that we are building here in Etisalat.I would also like to thank each and every member of our staff for their contribution in making Etisalat a trusted partner of choice for fulfilling the complex ICT needs of our valued customers.I would also like to thank our customers who have supported and challenged us in our iniatives to meet their needs thereby helping us win this award." This award is also a timely recognition of the success of our of strategy which has seen Etisalat offering specific industry based solutions and a dedicated account management approach backed by our world class technological skills to fulfill the ICT needs of our customers ." ACN(Arabian Computer News) hosted the Arab Technology Awards, held in association with the Gulf Information Technology Exhibition (GITEX).Designed to herald the projects that shine as beacons of excellence, the ACN Arab Technology Awards lauds both corporate and individual achievement across the project spectrum and take into account the efforts of vendors, integrators and the end users. Source

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Etisalat offers mega prizes to tourists

Etisalat has announced that its international visitors coming to the UAE will now be rewarded with exciting gifts and mega prizes, courtesy its new Roaming Reward programme.
The company has added significant benefits to its Ahlan visitor mobile package, which will see users, experience a number of extra benefits beyond what is already provided in the service.
According to the officials, Roaming service will reward Etisalat Roamers with raffle tickets based on their usage, giving them entry into monthly prize draws and the chance to win mega prizes.
When using the Etisalat network, visitors will be automatically registered into the programme and will get a raffle ticket for every chargeable 10 minutes of talk time, every 10 SMS sent or every 10MB of data usage. This usage record can be accumulated over more than one call or more than one visit to the UAE during the promotion period. Etisalat will also further reward visitors with a bonus raffle ticket for every two raffle tickets earned to increase their chances of winning.
Eligible roamers will enter the draws for two mega and monthly prizes and stand a chance to win a luxury apartment, a brand new BMW 730Li, or monthly cash prizes worth $1000 in addition to monthly units of Etisalat’s Mobile Super Speed Data Card.
The programme is exclusive to all international visitors coming to the UAE and using the Etisalat network during the period from September 8 till February 28, 2008.
The Ahlan visitor mobile package includes preloaded credit, extended validity periods and a range of value-added services.
Available in a number of locations around the UAE for only Dh90, all Ahlan visitor mobile packages will now also be preloaded with Dh35 worth of calling credit. The earlier validity period of 90 days has now been extended to 120 days wherein the Ahlan customer will be able to receive calls for 30 days after the completion of 90 days. Now, customers who wish to stay longer and be reachable on the same number also have the option of migrating their Ahlan connection to either the GSM postpaid or the Wasel prepaid services. Source

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