Middle-east Arab News Opinion | Asharq Al-awsat

Etisalat Ready for Competition | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Dubai, Asharq Al-Awsat- Emirates Telecommunications Corporation –Etisalat- announced today its full readiness to operate in a competitive environment, following the deregulation of the telecom sector by the UAE Federal Government last year. During his opening speech of the Arab Business Forum for Information & Communication Technology in Dubai today, Mr. Mohammad Hassan Omran, Etisalat’s CEO stated: “The imminent launch of the second telecom operator in the UAE, we feel, will broaden the market and provide consumers with a richer user experience.”

“Since its inception, the Corporation has been operating with a competitive mindset. The announcement of the deregulation of the telecom market last year, has been a catalyst for Etisalat to embark on a new phase of growth, which aimed at bringing the corporation closer to our customers, the engine of our growth,” added Omran on the eve of the launch of GITEX, the Middle East’s largest IT and Telecom exhibition.

Since market deregulation in April 2004, Etisalat entered into a new strategic phase that focused on three main components; the customers, the shareholders and the employees. As for the customers, Etisalat consistently remained the regional benchmark in terms of the quality of products and services as well as pricing.

Omran commented: “We continue to provide enabling technologies across the media, information and communications sectors that bring creativity, efficiency and value to our customers. Our aim is to bring the future closer to our customers who will continue to enjoy a unique experience with our new and leading edge products and services.

“For example, the 46 per cent price reduction in broadband internet services, including the doubling of bandwidth provided for free, is already having a huge impact on the customer take up of the Internet. This significant initiative will further encourage customers to use the Internet and enjoy the benefits of a faster access and richer browsing experience. Etisalat’s groundbreaking work has already transformed the UAE into the most wired, knowledge-based community with the highest Internet penetration in the region. The price reduction will further bring customers into the broadband sector. This is in addition to rolling out the New Generation Network – NGN, during 2005, which will bring a whole new dimension to fixed-line telephone services”

“Moreover, we embarked on an ambitious expansion plan that took us into many new markets across the region and beyond, most significant of which is our operation in Saudi Arabia – Mobily, which enjoys today more than 1.25 million customers, with the aim of reaching two million by the end of 2005,” he said.

To continue building shareholder value, Etisalat expansion strategy took the corporation across two continents. Omran stated: “Our investments in Saudi Arabia will yield profits much sooner than originally planned. This is thanks to the professional work of Etisalat employees and their Saudi colleagues who managed to build a world-class operation in a record time.

“We see deregulation as an opportunity to refocus our people and operations by utilizing their skills where they can be most effective for the customer as well as the corporation. Our expansion drive into Africa and elsewhere in the region could not be achieved with such efficiency without our human capital” he added.