Al Hilal Bank signs up for new Etisalat Data Centre

The signing with Al Hilal Bank confirms Etisalat's status as a key strategic provider of information and communications technology (ICT) in the region. Its capabilities have been significantly increased through the Dhs400m data center in Jebel Ali, which is the largest data centre of its type in the Middle East.

Mr. Abdulla Ebrahim Al Ahmed, Senior Vice President, Business Solutions at Etisalat, said that the agreement with Al Hilal Bank demonstrates that the biggest companies in the UAE trust and rely on Etisalat to provide their critical ICT services.

"Al Hilal Bank is one of the fastest emerging banks in the UAE. We are delighted to have them as the launch customer for our brand new data centre," said Mr. Al Ahmed.

"ICT is a major growth area for Etisalat which is demonstrated by our commitment to this new facility in Jebel Ali. Our technical expertise in this field is world-class, and, with the new state-of-the-art data centre, we are confirming our market-leading position as a full ICT provider for the business sector," added Mr. Al Ahmed.

Mr. Saif Al Dhaheri, Executive Vice President at Al Hilal Bank, said that their trust and confidence in Etisalat's vast experience in managing and running nine data centers in UAE including the new Data Center facility in Jebel Ali was a key reason for the decision to sign up with Etisalat.

"Not only is Etisalat the leading telecommunications operator in the UAE, but they have shown their commitment to building an international-standard ICT platform with their new facility which is an ideal location to host our disaster recovery functions," said Mr. Al Dhaheri.

"Disaster recovery is a sensitive and critical aspect of our business that helps maintain our corporate integrity, security and confidence, so Al Hilal Bank had to ensure that we chose the right partner to handle this crucial function. Etisalat is one of the largest companies in the UAE with a long history of successful business relationships and innovative ICT solutions. We are delighted to be the first corporate client to occupy their new data centre, the largest in the Middle East," added Mr. Al Dhaheri.

Ghazi Qarout, Senior Vice President, Head of Information Technology at Al Hilal Bank, said: "After careful consideration, we have concluded that Etisalat offers us an advanced infrastructure that allows for efficiently undertaking the disaster recovery aspect of our Business Continuity Plan."

Mr. Al Ahmed said that the size of the new data centre at Jebel Ali will mean that many other leading companies in the UAE will soon join Al Hilal Bank to facilitate important ICT solutions to run their businesses.