du exceeds 1.5m customers at the end of 2007

This announcement comes as a prelude to the UAE's new telecom operator's year-end financial results that will be released on 15 February 2008.

Commenting on the unprecedented accomplishment of exceeding the 1.5m customer mark within 10 months of launching in a market with a high level of penetration, Osman Sultan, Chief Executive Officer, du said: 'We are very proud of our customers' trust in us, our brand and our ability to offer innovative value propositions, which enabled us to reach this milestone in such a short span of time. If we continue to grow at this pace, we will reach our target of capturing 30% of the population of the UAE, ahead of schedule.'

'I want to thank all our customers who made this possible. This would never have been achieved without the dedication, commitment and hard work of all the talented people at du and I want to also express my appreciation to them, as we celebrate this achievement together.'

Since the launch of its mobile services in February 2007, du has introduced a different dimension to the way people perceive and experience communications. With many firsts to its credit, including the popular Number Booking campaign, Pay by the Second billing, Mobile Payments, e-shop, Mobile TV, Call Select - the first of du's fixed line services for voice nationwide and the vast network of du shops, the company has plans to continue expanding its portfolio.

du recently launched the Dhs1 mobile pack with another first, not only for the UAE, but globally - the innovative new 'WoW' Recharge Card, offering customers the choice between choosing extra credit or extra time when recharging their prepaid line.