du names Farid Faraidooni as Executive Vice President for Corporate Affairs

In this role, Faraidooni will head du's corporate affairs department, which will focus on corporate programme management, telecom regulatory affairs, corporate governance and investor relations. He will be responsible for the company's launch programme management office, and developing policy and strategic direction for its corporate affairs function.

"With his vast experience in the telecom industry, Faraidooni will be a valuable asset to the du team," said Ahmad Bin Byat, Chairman of du. "The corporate affairs function is key to du's development into a leading telecom operator in the region. Faraidooni is one of the members of a strong team we are building to position the organisation as a symbol of excellence in the industry."

"We are delighted that Faraidooni has joined the du team," said Osman Sultan, CEO of du. "Faraidooni's experience in senior roles in the UAE's telecom industry enables him to play a vital role in the development of du. His appointment also underlines the importance the company places on corporate affairs," he added.

"I am thrilled to join du as part of its launch team," said Faraidooni. "du's mission to be a leading player in the region's telecom industry makes it a very exciting company and I look forward to contributing towards build a strong future for the new operator."

Faraidooni brings to the role his extensive experience in senior managerial positions in the telecom industry. Prior to joining du, Faraidooni served as the Deputy General Manager of Telecom for TECOM Investments from April 2002 to December 2005. Before that he served Dubai Internet City's telecom division in various capacities including Projects & Network Development Manager, Data Centre Manager and IT and Telecom Project Manager.

He is a member of the Board of Directors of Interoute one of Europe's fastest growing telecoms providers and owner operator of Europe's most advanced and densely connected voice and data network.

Before joining TECOM, Farid initiated and successfully developed several entrepreneurial ventures. He co-founded and managed some of the UAE's leading online and tele-information services including Talking Pages UAE, Injaz Call Center and Ahlan Dubai.

He was the head of the project to build and operate an information technology infrastructure for Dubai Press Club and early in his career, he served as Traffic Control Systems Engineer for Dubai Municipality where he handled the daily operations of the Dubai Traffic Control Centre.

Farid is a Bachelor of Science in Electrical/Electronics Engineering from Baylor University in Texas, United States. He has completed prestigious management courses at Cranfield University on 'Developing General Management Potential' and 'Managing Successful Project Team'.

In 2003, TECOM nominated him as its candidate in the Distinguished Government Employee category in the Dubai Government Excellence Program (DGEP) Awards.

He is a founding member of the Information Technology Forum in the UAE.