i2 named Fastest Growing Company at Arabian Business Awards

The ceremony, organized by ITP Publishers, was held at the Riyadh Four Seasons Hotel under the patronage of HRH Prince Sattam Bin Abdul Aziz and attended by guest of honor HRH Prince Waleed Ben Talal Al Saud.

"We are very grateful to have received this prestigious award before such a distinguished audience," said Abdul Hameed Al Sunaid, CEO of i2 Group. "The recognition deserves to go to all of our dedicated employees at i2, however, who have made the company a success story, deserving of its exceptional performance year after year."

This year, i2 reported revenues of $1.3 billion for 2006, up from $837 million. The company expects to double their turnover in 2007, more than double that of this year. i2 currently operates in 22 markets throughout the Middle East and Africa.

Launched in 1993 as itsalat international, the company reinvented itself 18 months ago with the creation of its brand i2. Within the last year the brand has developed into a household name and successfully expanded to include various subsidiaries such as i2 club, i2 magazine, i2 tv, i2 café, and i2 logistics.

Recently, i2 has embarked on a wide-reaching, multi-tiered expansion strategy, which has seen the company penetrate new markets, boost its retail presence, expand its portfolio and secure several corporate acquisitions, including Cellempower, CompuMe and the British GSM trading company Allied TC.

"i2's growth has been due to a combination of strong branding and a commitment to customer service, along with vision and drive," Al Sunaid said. "We have all worked very hard to get where we are today, and this award serves as recognition of everyone's efforts at i2."

Along with various members of the royal family, some of the Kingdom's most influential and high ranking officials, executives and investors also attended the event, as well as members of the media.

The Arabian Business Awards have come to be viewed as one of the region's most respected and influential business events. It has been taking place in KSA since 2004.