The award was received by Ali Al Ahmed, Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Etisalat UAE on behalf of His Excellency Mohammad Omran, Etisalat chairman at a ceremony held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice-President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai.
The Forbes Middle East awards reward the efforts, achievements and positive contributions of UAE companies in the intellectual development of the UAE’s economy and society. The award ceremony took place during the launch of the first issue of Forbes Middle East in English, and took place at the Atlantis Palm Jumeirah in Dubai.
“It’s a great honour to receive this prestigious award from Forbes Middle East. I consider it a tribute to the efforts of our 53,000 employees in 17 countries and I am pleased to convey our shared appreciation for recognition, and also to applaud their efforts,” Commenting on the occasion, Etisalat`s chairman Mohammad Omran said.
“Etisalat’s successful business strategy is based on several key elements which include strong leadership, innovation, excellence in customer service and operating in a responsible manner. This award reflect the success οf Etisalat’s efforts іn these areas, аѕ well аѕ thе individual performance οf the management team,” he added.
“It is a well deserved win for Etisalat, a company that has made significant contributions to the development of telecommunications infrastructure in the UAE and achieved remarkable international success. Etisalat has maintained outstanding performance, with its total assets now valued at around $20 billion and annual revenues of $8.7 billion. It has also developed a strong business portfolio in 17 markets across the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Throughout its long history Etisalat has consistently added to its reputation with a series of achievements in both service offerings and technology innovations. Etisalat has been always a strong believer in making wise and prudent investments in networks and offering new services for its customers,” Khuloud Al Omian, Editor in Chief of Forbes Middle East said.
Etisalat continuously invests in network infrastructure in each of the markets in which it operates. Last year Abu Dhabi became the first capital city in the world to be fully connected with a state-of-the-art Fibre-To-The-Home (FTTH) network. Etisalat is also among the first telecommunications worldwide to roll out nationwide Long Term Evolution (LTE – 4G) networks in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
This award is another in a series of accolades for Etisalat, including two ‘Stevie’ awards in 2011 for Most Innovative Company in the Middle East and Africa, and Chairman of the Year.