Qtel Group rebrands as Ooredoo

Formerly Qatar's exclusive telco provider, the firm already has a controlling interesting in Qtel in Qatar, Indosat in Indonesia, Wataniya in Kuwait, Nawras in Oman, Tunisiana in Tunisia, and Nedjma in Algeria.

The announcement was made yesterday at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona by Ooredoo Chairman Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohammed Bin Saud Al-Thani. Argentinian footballer, Lionel Messi, was also appointed global brand ambassador and Ooredoo pledged to support the Leo Messi Foundation.

"With Ooredoo we have chosen an Arabic word that means 'I want'", explained Sheikh Abdullah Al-Thani.

"We believe that young people should be given the life chances that mobile technology can provide; that under-served communities should be able to access the Internet; that every woman should have an equal opportunity to use a mobile phone; and that entrepreneurs and small businesses should be able to receive business services tailored to their needs. Our new brand reflects these beliefs," said His Excellence.

Ooredoo has experienced significant growth over the last six years, transforming from a single market operator in Qatar to an international communications company with a global customer base of more than 89.2 million people (as of 30 September 2012) and consolidated revenues of $6.8 billion for the first nine months of fiscal year 2012.

Delivering mobile, fixed, broadband internet and corporate managed services tailored to the needs of consumers and businesses in emerging markets, Ooredoo has been the fastest-growing telecommunications company in the world by revenue since 2006 and its enterprise value has more than tripled since 2005.

The company has initiated a major modernisation programme across its core network and is investing for the future to deliver high speed broadband as new frequencies and new technologies open up.

Dr Nasser Marafih, Group CEO, Ooredoo said: "It is our belief that we can better serve our global customers by leveraging the combined resources and assets of a strong, unified global business under one brand. We also believe that rebranding now will help us to maintain our momentum in the face of new realities for the industry, signaling our commitment to become a global force."