Qtel's state-of-the-art headquarters in West Bay officially inaugurated by H.H Sheikh Abdullah Bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Prime Minister of Qatar

The Chairman of Qtel, H.E Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohammed Bin Saud Al Thani; members of the Qtel Board of Directors; Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Nasser Marafih; Chief Operating Officer, David Murray; Executive Directors and other senior management from Qtel welcomed the high level delegation which included top ministers and government officials, to the opening event.

Qtel's Chairman, H.E Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohammed Bin Saud Al Thani said, "We are pleased that H.H Sheikh Abdullah Bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Prime Minister of Qatar, has honoured Qtel's management and staff by officially opening our headquarters.

"This inauguration comes at a time when we are celebrating our achievements for 2005, which has been a remarkable year for Qtel. We have witnessed the launch of the Qatar Data Center; a joint partnership between Qtel, AT&T and NavLink. We have also successfully trialed 3G, Triple Play and TETRA services, all of which will be commercially available later this year.

"The Qtel Tower has become a landmark in Qatar; a symbol of a modern, world-class office. The tower is not only set to dominate Doha's skyline but it is one of the most technologically-advanced IT buildings in the State," Qtel Chairman H.E Sheikh Abdullah concluded.

The 27 storey Qtel tower is fitted with IP based telephony, WiFi on every floor and advanced high-speed video conferencing facilities. Also available is a state-of-the-art Conference Center on the 15th floor with 8 conference rooms and separate prayer rooms for men and women.

The tower also boasts its own Media Room in the Public Relations department on the 16th floor. The Media Room will be open to journalists for conducting interviews, to research information, view news channels and have access to Qtel's news & image archives.

Qtel's Executive Director for Group Communications, Waleed Al-Sayed took H.H Sheikh Abdullah Bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Prime Minister and his entourage on a tour of the building and explained the architectural design elements, the different business units and corporate centers as well as the technology used at Qtel. H.H Sheikh Abdullah Bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Prime Minister also witnessed live video conferencing facilities at the Qtel Conference Center and was briefed about Qtel's soon to be launched Triple Play service. During the tour of the building he talked with several staff and management of the company.

Qtel employees, who moved to the new headquarters late last year, already have access to a fully-fledged medical clinic. The clinic offers basic medical and surgical services including consultation and treatment for minor wounds; blood pressure and blood sugar check-up; monitoring and vital signs checking.

Qtel's CEO Dr. Nasser Marafih said, "We are committed to becoming the Employer of Choice in Qatar and continue to provide our people with the latest technologies, best business practices and a conducive work environment; designed to make working at Qtel more efficient and more enjoyable."

Construction is still underway at the plaza and top suite levels of the tower. The Plaza level will house a bank, a customer service center and a coffee shop and the top suite will include meeting rooms and recreational facilities for top management. Both these floors are expected to be fully functional in a few months.