du invests AED1.4bn so far in building its capacity for nationwide launch

du's Chairman Ahmed Bin Byat stated that investments were in line with projections and that du continued to be on track for its upcoming launch.

"It is very pleasing to see the progress that has been made over the last six months since the inception of the company. In this time we have acquired the telecom assets of TECOM Investments, been awarded the 2nd telecommunications license for the UAE and had our shares listed on the Dubai Financial Market," Bin Byat said.

"In the meanwhile, we are investing heavily in building the infrastructure of the company, particularly in world class networks and IT systems and have spent so far a net amount of AED 1.4bn. I have no doubt these investments will result in achieving the exceptional quality of services that du plans to deliver for the benefit of all consumers in the UAE," he added.

du's Chief Executive Officer, Osman Sultan, said, "We are steadily building the foundations of our company in line with our mission aimed at delighting our customers by enabling better communication experience, investing in our employees in order to be the home for the best talents and generating optimal value for our shareholders through operational efficiency and innovation."

"We are driving a number of key initiatives to establish our business for launch later this year. In addition to building infrastructure and other operational capabilities, recruiting and developing the best talents and growing them within the du family is our other priority. Particular emphasis is being laid on attracting UAE national resources. In this context we are pleased to announce that we have launched a Graduate Trainee programme for UAE Nationals," Sultan continued.