13 May 2015
Abu Dhabi - Etisalat Group, the leading emerging markets telecommunications operator in Middle East, Africa and Asia, will participate in the 2015 mHealth Grand Cycle Tour due to take place in September. Etisalat is an Official Supporter of the tour, which aims to raise awareness about diabetes, mHealth solutions and will provide a team drawn from employees across the 19 markets it operates in.

Starting in Brussels and ending in Geneva, via Paris, the 9-day, 1,500 km race is a real sporting challenge for type 1 and 2 diabetics. The riders will be monitored remotely in real time and will also have the advantage of personalised mobile coaching to help them manage their condition throughout the course. They will also be surrounded by a medical team, who will be able to react to the real-time data gathered during the ride, which highlight the benefits of remote monitoring and medical coaching of diabetic patients as part of a support programme.

According to the International Diabetes Federation 387 million people, or 8.3% of the global population,currently struggle with the disease, which will rise to 592 million by 2035. Diabetes is limiting the potential of millions of people across the Middle East, Africa and Asia, including an increasing number of younger people. According to the International Diabetes Federation, there are expected to be nearly 592 million people with diabetes worldwide by 2035.

Commenting on Etisalat's continued support for the tour, Abdul Aziz Alsawaleh Alshehhi, Chief Human Resources Officer at Etisalat Group said: "Etisalat Group is excited to continue its support for the mHealth Grand Tour. Diabetes is a devastating and often-overlooked condition that we must continue to work to defeat. Etisalat's staff are standing up and showing that they too want to contribute to the global fight against diabetes. Not only are they raising awareness in their communities and pursuing more active lifestyles themselves, they are making a tangible contribution to developing real solutions to the disease."

Applicants for this year's official Etisalat team are being evaluated in their respective counties using a variety of sophisticated health, fitness and psychological criteria using the expertise of local teams and Etisalat Group. Previously, Team Etisalat was made up of employees from the UAE, Afghanistan, Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Tanzania.

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About Etisalat
Headquartered in Abu Dhabi, Etisalat Group is one of the world's leading telecom groups in emerging markets. Since its inception almost four decades ago, Etisalat has been introducing innovative connectivity solutions for its customers across the Middle East, Asia and Africa. These cutting-edge solutions have given Etisalat the ability to expand its subscriber base to more than 173 million in the 19 international markets it operates in. Etisalat's market cap is 96.8 billion AED, equaling 26.4 billion USD.

For more information, please contact:
Etisalat Media Desk
E: gyoussef@etisalat.ae
T: +9712 618 2877
www.etisalat.com

© Press Release 2015