Dubai, May 24th, 2006 (WAM) - UAE telecom operator Etisalat haslaunched a new customer-centric identity. The launch signalsthe first major overhaul in its 30-year history, and the newcorporate image will position Emirates Telecommunications Corporation- Etisalat - as the new global player in the telecom industry.

The new identity was unveiled at a glittering event in Dubaion Tuesday evening, which was attended by senior dignitariesand government officials, business leaders and media representatives.

The unveiling followed a weeklong teaser advertising campaignthat ran across UAE and regional media.

"Etisalat is as vibrant as ever today, as it moves into its fourthdecade of operation, and our new identity strengthens our commitmenttowards achieving new levels of excellence in services offeredto our valued customers", said Mohammed Al Qamzi, CEO of Etisalat.

"Our intention is to be the best telecom operator not only locally,but also regionally and internationally. And our vision is tobe truly global." "We have a stated aim of being among the top 20 telecom operatorsin the world by 2010. We are entering new markets across theworld and what you see from today onwards is not just a changeof logo, but a significant shift at the core of the Corporationand a new direction for Etisalat as a whole." The new identity reflects Etisalat's values of transparency,optimism, openness, simplicity and reliability. The green colourin the logo signifies life, growth and renewal. Green is thenational colour of the UAE, and Etisalat has a long and closeassociation with its home nation- the UAE.

"By undergoing a culture shift at every level, we will establishourselves as a truly global telecom operator, a true ambassadorof the UAE success story in the international market." Al Qamziadded.

Speaking at the launch event, Al Qamzi said: "From our engineersin the field to our senior management, our people at every levelare very excited to be a part of this new phase of the Corporation'shistory." "Etisalat's vision is a world where people's reach is not limitedby matter or distance", Ahmad Abdulkarim Julfar, Chief OperatingOfficer of Etisalat, said. "We will extend people's reach byproviding the services and technologies that enable individualsand businesses around the world to extend themselves so thatthey can reach their aspirations, ambitions and the best theworld has to offer," he said.

He said the Corporation has been building up to this moment overthe last decade, steadily marshalling its infrastructure andhuman capital into a complete and considered service offering.

"The new image seamlessly transforms us from a local operatorinto a regional service provider and, in the future, a trulyworld class Corporation".

"Telecommunications in general improves our lives by removingthe boundaries of space and time," Julfar said. "Etisalat hasalways provided the very best in technological capabilities andinfrastructure to the communities we operate in. Our new ethoswill be communicated from our home base in the UAE to the 13other markets we operate in across the region - no market willbe left behind."Essa Al Haddad, Chief Marketing Officer, Etisalat, said: "Thenew Etisalat will stress openness, reliability and simplicity,empowerment and a more personalized service through a concertedcampaign of improved customer care, enhanced distribution channelsand effective outreach." "Business and individual customers can expect to see new productsand services, increased functionality for existing services andimprovements to Etisalat's network of branches in the comingyear, with the first of these expected in the next few weeks",Al Haddad added.

"The change has already begun to revitalize the Corporation'sinternal workings and thought processes", Al Haddad said. "Technologygives us connectivity, but only a committed provider, able andwilling to listen and respond to the needs of the community,can build connectedness." The new identity of Etisalat has been unveiled at a time whenthe Corporation is enjoying a leadership role among Gulf andMiddle Eastern telecom operators. In its 30th year of operations,Etisalat has made the UAE one of the most wired nations in theregion, and the penetration figures of key services are comparableto the most developed markets worldwide. Mobile penetration,with over 4.7 million subscribers, has touched the 100 per centmark, a first in the region. 41.5 per cent of the populationof the UAE have access to the Internet, another significant penetrationrate in the region.

Etisalat has also regularly cemented its pioneering role in theregion by being the first to launch services and applications.

Some of the major introductions have been the launching of pre-GSMmobile services in 1982, 3G in 2003, and BlackBerry in 2006.

The Corporation has of late been following an aggressive internationalexpansion strategy that has seen Etisalat winning bids and forgingpartnerships to enter many regional markets. A key commitmentof the Corporation has been to ensure its unmatched levels ofservices in its home market even as it grows into a true globalCorporation.

Its first significant international win was of the second GSMnetwork licence in Saudi Arabia. 'Mobily', Etisalat's serviceprovider in Saudi Arabia, is achieving unprecedented levels ofpenetration in the Kingdom. 'Mobily' is referred to as one ofthe fastest growing telecom companies in the Middle East.

Success in Saudi Arabia was soon followed by winning the licenceto operate the second fixed-line network in Sudan. 'Canar', thecompany set up to operate this network, is now operational andgrowing. Etisalat then purchased 50 per cent stake in AtlantiqueTelecom, a company that operates mobile phone networks in ,Benin,Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Gabon, Niger, Togo andCote D'Ivoire (Ivory Coast).

Soon after this, Etisalat placed the winning bid to purchase26 per cent stake in Pakistan Telecom Company Limited (PTCL).

With managing stake in the company, Etisalat is now representedon the board and in senior management of PTCL.

The latest entry has been into Afghanistan, where Etisalat purchaseda licence to offer GSM services in an emerging market with extremelylow penetration rates. Etisalat will look at partnering withlocal investors to set up the company to operate the network.

Zanzibar Telecom (ZanTel), in which Etisalat owns stake, wasrecently awarded a licence to operate telecom services acrossTanzania, and not just in Zanzibar.

Other international investments of Etisalat include owning stakein Qatar Telecom (QTEL), Sudan Telecom (SudaTel) and Thuraya,the satellite telephone company.