Etisalat announces creation of holding company- Etisalat Services

Ali Al Sharid has been appointed as CEO of Etisalat Services. The signing ceremony creating the new entity was held at the Etisalat Headquarters in Abu Dhabi, and was attended by Mohamed Al Qamzi, CEO, Etisalat, senior executives of Etisalat and Etisalat Services, as well as from consultants involved in the project.

Etisalat Services will be a holding company comprising of eight specialized business units that were earlier part of Etisalat. These units are Emirates Data Clearing House (EDCH), Etisalat Academy, Ebtikar Card Systems, e-marine, Facilities Management Unit, Facilities Development Unit, e-property Unit and the Special Projects Unit.

Mohammed Al Qamzi, CEO of Etisalat and Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors of Etisalat Services, said:

"We are happy to announce the formation of this company with its specialized business units. This follows in the decision taken by the Board of Directors of Etisalat in May this year, and is a part of our efforts to restructure the Corporation. This will see the Corporation being divided into three distinct units- Etisalat, which provides full telecommunication, Internet and Cable TV services; Etisalat International, which handles all the international investments and expansion of the Corporation; and Etisalat services, which will provide all non-basic telecom services."

"Over the last 30 years, Etisalat has expanded at both the local and international level, with growth of operations and service portfolios, and entry into 14 strategic markets across Asia and Africa. Establishing Etisalat Services as an independent company is in line with the Corporation's strategy, and frees up Etisalat to fine-tune its focus on basic telecommunication services and technology upgrades based on market demand."

"The companies that are now under the umbrella of Etisalat Services have all made immense contributions towards the position that Etisalat now enjoys at the regional and international levels", he added.

Ali Al Sharid, CEO, Etisalat Services, said: "Etisalat Services was born out of a need for the Corporation to align itself to a new scenario, both from an internal restructuring point of view, as well as due to changing market conditions brought about by the telecom sector liberalization in the UAE. While the eight companies under the Etisalat Services banner have each made significant contributions to Etisalat, we believe that this move will further drive our competitiveness in the regional and international market, and enable us to effectively capitalize on opportunities."

"Etisalat Services will provide its high quality products and services to all companies and individuals at competitive prices", he added.

The business units that now come under Etisalat Services include some of the key companies in the region offering non-basic telecom services. Emirates Data Clearing House (EDCH) is one of five companies worldwide that supports mobile operators with international systems for the mobile roaming service, and now services 46 operators in over 35 countries. EDCH assists its clients with data and financial exchanging, management reports, fraud protection as well as negotiations on behalf of its customers to secure ideal roaming agreements."

Etisalat Academy is a pioneering investment in Human Resource Development and Training, and professionals from all over attend courses and programmes in Information Technology, Wireless Systems, Business Administration, Customer Service Practices, Marketing, Accounting, Control Systems, Security Systems and even Basic Science. The Etisalat Academy is also a training facility used extensively by Etisalat staff, from both domestic as well as international operations.

e-marine (Emirates Telecommunications and Marine Services) is one of the only companies in the region specialized in the laying and maintenance of submarine cables. e-marine has successfully completed major international projects, includingSMW-3, SMW-4, which connects Western Europe to South East Asia, and other major links like FOG and FLAG.

Ebtikar Card Systems manufactures 'Smart Cards' that are used in a variety of industries and sectors such as memory cards, magnetic cards for multimedia, GSM and Internet cards, and social insurance and health cards.