Groundbreaking partnership with e-finance at the Mobile World Congress 2016 in Barcelona to create Egypts largest digital platform for e-commerce and e-government services

February 23, 2016; Barcelona, Spain

Sky Telecom, the Dubai-based digital platform for ICT service providers and the consumer technology industry, has reached another important milestone in its MENA expansion plans following a series of new partnerships at the 2016 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

The company, which was launched in Dubai in 2014, aims to be the most complete and comprehensive digital platform in the region for ICT service providers and the consumer technology industry, allowing them to deliver value-based outcomes and capitalise on new revenue opportunities. In the UAE, Sky Telecom is partnered with mobile communications and technology providers as an enabling service for end-users.

As part of Sky Telecoms MENA expansion, the company announced its signing of a deal with e-finance, the first and largest electronic payment and collection platform in Egypt, at 11:00 am on February 22, 2016 in Barcelonas Eurostars Grand Marina Hotel GL, as part of the 2016 Mobile World Congress. The partnership will see the creation of Egypts largest digital platform for e-commerce and e-payment services. The new project is line with the Egyptian governments ICT 2020 strategy, which aims to transform Egypt into a digital society, develop the ICT industry and establish Egypt as a global digital hub. The aim is to provide Egypts population with convenient and secure access to e-government services, telecoms, utilities and a range of complementary services from partner organisations on the platform. 

As the largest provider of e-services for the government and private sector in Egypt, we are enabling consumers to embrace the digital age, in terms of convenience, proximity and the range of services that they can access through this partnership, says Ibrahim Sarhan, Chairman of e-finance.

As part of the deal, Sky Telecom will develop in cooperation with e-finance, an appropriate model to connect over 20,000 trusted retail outlets to the platform, which will be exploited alongside e-finances existing points of sale across Egypt. In total, the partnership will include 40,000 points of sale in Egypt, managing in excess of an estimated EGP 2 billion of transactions during 2016.

We are able to provide end-consumers with products and services that, after extensive research, have shown to be a gap in the market, says Ali Kassab, CEO of Sky Telecom, who spoke at the press conference held on Tuesday in Barcelona. We plan to fulfil consumers needs in every aspect we find that revolves around telecommunications.

The partnership between Sky Telecom and e-finance is a significant milestone on our road to connecting people to everything in the region, says Naser Butti Omair Yousef Al Mehairi, Chairman of Sky Telecom. 

Following on from the e-finance partnership in Egypt, Sky Telecom is also set to expand its presence throughout other regional markets. In Tunisia, Sky Telecom is in the process of enabling its platform to offer e-services connectivity to consumers across the country. In the coming months,

the UAE will see Sky Telecoms trusted store programme rolled out across thousands of outlets, connecting customers with a wide range of e-services and consumer benefits. The project will be officially launched at GITEX 2016.

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About Sky Telecom:
Established in 2014, Sky Telecom enables next generation businesses (telecom operators) to increase their market share, reduce customer acquisition cost and improve customer experience. Sky Telecom is a revenue enabler that analyses and understands market gaps and challenges to transform it into business opportunities. The company enables growth by developing new core competencies in business development, marketing and customer experience.

Naser Butti Omair Yousef Al Mehairi, Chairman, Sky Telecom:
As Chairman of BIN BUTTI International Holdings LLC, Mr. Al Mehairi oversees a diverse portfolio of business services and activities, including integrated technology solutions, property development, integrated facilities management, travel and tourism, vehicle rental and leasing, and catering and laundry services. The focus is on providing a world-class service with a strong emphasis on customized, dynamic solutions. Mr. Al Mehairi is currently Honorary Chairman of the United Federation of Travel Agent Association. He is also a former board member of the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and previously held the position of Chairman at the Abu Dhabi Public Relation Association, Abu Dhabi Travel & Tourism Agencies Council, Gulf Travel and Tourism Agencies Association Committee and the Tourism and Rent a Car Committee at the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce.

Ali Kassab, CEO, Sky Telecom:
Throughout his 18-year career in telecoms, Mr. Ali Kassab has been a tireless innovator and technology enthusiast. His early experiences at Orange, Orascom and Ooredoo shaped his later business ventures including international sales, ICT, marketing and consultancy in the Middle East. Mr. Kassab leads the executive leadership team responsible for realising Sky Telecoms vision to change the ways in which people work, live, play and learn. Under his leadership, Sky Telecom empowers its customers to create and deliver value and innovation within the digital sphere. Over his seven years as the CEO of this multinational software company, Mr. Ali Kassab has led the organisation in enhancing customer experience, driving the cloud revolution, evolving telecom technology and transforming retail banking. 

About e-finance:
e-finance was established as the market leader in the field of electronic payment. Operating in Egypt, e-finance provides state-of-the-art electronic payment solutions to the government and public sector in a secure environment according to national and international security standards. Powered by professional experts with long years of experience in banking, e-payment, technical and project management, the company currently provides end-to-end e-payment connectivity for the Ministry of Finance and government entities. e-finance is the first and largest electronic payment and collection gateway in Egypt. As a national company, e-finances shareholders are National Investment Bank (70%), National Bank of Egypt (10%), Banque Misr (10%) and Egyptian Banks Company-EBC (10%).

About Mobile World Congress:
The GSMA Mobile World Congress exhibition features the leading products, services and technologies that are shaping the future of mobile, from handsets and devices to network infrastructure, software and services, and much more. More than 2,000 companies are expected to exhibit, including global brands such as Alcatel-Lucent, AT&T, Deutsche Telekom, Ericsson, Ford Motor Company, Google, Huawei, Intel, Lenovo, Microsoft, NEC, Nokia, Qualcomm, Samsung, SK Telecom, Sony Mobile Communications, Telef?nica, VMware and Vodafone, among others. The Mobile World Congress is the cornerstone of the Mobile World Capital, which will be hosted in Barcelona through 2023. The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide, uniting nearly 800 operators with more than 250 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset and device makers, software companies, equipment providers and internet companies, as well as organisations in adjacent industry sectors.

Media Contact                        Press Room                                        
Ava Karvan                            http://skytelecom.pr.co
PR Manager, O2
E: ak@o2.ae
M: 0564505570

Press Release 2016