Etisalat 'on course' for world top 10 by 2010

PHONE TARGET: Etisalat aims to be one of the world's top 10 phone operators by 2010. (Getty Images)

Etisalat has announced its international subscriber base across its 17 markets has exceeded 74 million, including fixed-line, internet, cable TV and mobile subscribers.

These figures were announced by Mohammed Hassan Omran, chairman of Etisalat's national, regional and international companies.

“Etisalat is in its strongest position ever and is on course to achieving its goal of being one of the top 10 operators in the world by 2010.

"Our growing subscriber base is an indicator of the strong performance of our international subsidiaries, and our success in growing market share even in the most competitive markets,” he said.

The company posted a 19-percent rise in third-quarter profit earlier this week, meeting analysts' forecasts, as it added more users in a saturated home market and expanded abroad.

The second-largest Arab telecom firm by market value posted profit in the three months ended September 30 of 2.1 billion dirhams ($571.7 million).

Earlier this year the company was ranked as one of the 20 largest operators in the world and the largest in the Arab world by the Financial Times.

It was later ranked the fastest growing mobile operator in the world in a second study from the Informa Group.

Combined, the Etisalat family of operators services 74 million subscribers out of a total population of 1,600 million.

“With the upcoming launch of our services in Nigeria and India we are well placed to maintain our growth in the future,” Omran added.

Etisalat’s subsidiaries are located in Afghanistan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Indonesia, India, Nigeria, Sudan, Benin, Gabon, Burkina Faso, Togo, the Central African Republic, Niger, the Ivory Coast, Tanzania and the UAE.

Print | Email | Discuss this article

| Share |

MORE FROM ARABIANBUSINESS.COM