Sheikh Hamdan launches the Etisalat Experience at GULFCOMMS 2007

His Highness was guided on a tour around the Etisalat stand by Chairman Mohammad Hassan Omran, CEO Mohammad Al Qamzi, Chief Marketing Officer Essa Al Haddad, and other senior executives of Etisalat.

Etisalat outlined its initiatives and services designed to drive forward the UAE strategy laid out by HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, in April this year, especially in the sectors of Socio-Economic Development and Government Sector Development.

Etisalat presented about the Corporation's support and sponsorship of different sectors in the UAE, leading it to become one of the largest socially responsible companies in the nation. These include the UAE Marriage and Housing funds, and other socio-economic and cultural events and activities.

Etisalat is also very active in the education sector, and speaking about this, Etisalat Chairman, Mohammad Hassan Omran, said: "We established Etisalat University College to provide relevant education to UAE nationals, offering Bachelor of Engineering degrees in communication, electronics and computer engineering, a Masters by research and we were the first to offer a PhD programme in the UAE. In addition to this, we also established the Etisalat Academy, which has earned a reputation in the Gulf and Middle East as the comprehensive technical and corporate training institution."

About human resources, Omran said: "We were the first to implement the UAE Federal Government strategy of preparing UAE national youth for careers and growth alongside the rapid economic development of the UAE. We have implemented a number of programmes to attract and retain the best, and our policies of ongoing training and professional development have made us an employer of choice. Our HR policies are aligned with the UAE's long term vision of Emiratisation, and we have made great strides in this area too."

"Etisalat has served the business sector and remains committed to bringing its business customers the best and most advanced services. We have focused on constantly enhancing our networks, creating new international partnerships, and bringing our customers a range of products and services designed with business communications in mind,"

he added.

Etisalat has been working alongside the Government of the UAE and of the seven Emirates to identify ways of propelling the UAE into the forefront of world economies in terms of connectivity and telecoms availability. "We have played a role in recent Government initiatives such as the census project, and various e-Government activations. We are also looking at working with various Government departments with the help of our services, such as mobile payment solutions for parking or tolls, and the soon-to-be-introduced International Money Remittance over mobiles. These and others in the pipeline help to raise the profile of the UAE as the most tech-savvy nation in our region", he added.

Omran concluded by thanking HH Sheikh Hamdan for his visit to the stand and for his leadership and direction that has encouraged Etisalat to work towards accomplishing greater results and achievements.

The UAE strategy unveiled by HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum in April 2007 is multi-pronged, and seeks to maintain continuous cooperation between federal and local authorities, revitalize the regulatory and policy making role of the ministries and improve decision-making mechanisms, increase the efficiency of governmental bodies and upgrade the level of services based on customer needs, develop civil service regulations and human resources focusing on competence, effective Emiratisation and leadership training, empower ministries to manage their activities inline with public and joint policies, and review and upgrade legislations and regulations.