Emirates Telecommunications Corporation- Etisalat- has announced its endorsement of the 10th GSM in the Middle East, Gulf & North Africa (MEGNA) Conference, which is taking place at the Dubai International Convention Centre on the 11th and 12th of September 2005. The event, which is organised by Informa Telecoms and Media, is attended by senior officials and representatives of regional telecom operators and other companies in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector.
Mohammad Hassan Omran, CEO, Etisalat, in his welcoming during the opening ceremony, said: “ I am glad to welcome you in the 10th GSM in the Middle East, Gulf & North Africa (MEGNA) Conference, which enahnces the success of the previous conferences. The conference has drastically developed over the past years to become today the solid means to the exchange of ideas and opinions related to the industry, thus facilitating the growth of the industry as a whole.”
He added: “Etisalat has always been in the front in taking crucial decisions and allocating investments to the construction of advanced communication networks that are able to translate the economic ambitions of the UAE Our company has succeeded on more than one level to position the UAE as one of the most advances countries in the telecommunications industry.”
During the speech, Mr. Omran outlined the key achievements of Etisalat since the last conference. A key achievement in that period was exceeding a penetration level of over 95 per cent of the UAE population.
He also highlighted the international expansion of Etisalat in terms of international investments where the company was rewarded the second operator license in Saudi Arabia through Mobily, the Ettihad Etisalat-owned brand in Saudi Arabia, which started providing its services in May last year. Etisalat has also won the second operator contract for Mobile phones in Sudan through its Canartel Company, which is expected to launch its services before the end of the current year.
Mr. Omran also highlighted the great success Mobily is witnessing in Saudi Arabia where revealed that the number of subscribers have exceeded one million customers within the first three month of operation, thus increasing the expectation figures to two million by the end of the current year.
Mr. Omran, when talking about the importance placed on customer satisfaction by Etisalat, said: “With liberalization, the opportunity to conduct business in many markets and in varied cultures is enhanced; thus increasing the responsibility of international corporations to understand the culture and traditions of each market. Therefore, the phrase that the customer is king is now truer than ever.”
Mr. Omran expanded on Etisalat’s policy of bringing services and solutions to customers based on demand, and not just because Etisalat is ready to launch them. The technology base of the Corporation too is among the best in the region and Etisalat is looked up to for its pioneering role in introducing many services in the region.
