06 April 2016
BlackBerry Limited (NASDAQ: BBRY; TSX: BB), a global leader in secure mobile communications and Fast Telecom, the regional distribution powerhouse headquartered in UAE, today announced that they have signed a distribution agreement. As part of the agreement, Fast Telecom now offers BlackBerry® devices to customers across the region, including UAE, KSA, Jordan, Lebanon, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Egypt and Morocco.

"Today Fast Telecom and BlackBerry have signed an agreement that will enhance the footprint of BlackBerry devices and widen the company's distribution network for mobile devices in Middle East and North Africa," said Mohammed Albarghuthi, the Co-Chairman of Fast Telecom.

"We are excited to partner with Fast Telecom in the MENA‎, as part of our strategy to increase our market reach in the region and expand our global distribution network", said John Chen Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of BlackBerry. "BlackBerry's security, privacy and productivity is unmatched and we look forward to making it available to an even wider market segment." 

Building on Fast Telecom's wide distribution reach, high level service standards, vast network of trade partners and almost 20 years of distribution experience, the new partnership will bring the innovative and secure BlackBerry devices across more territories.

"PRIV by BlackBerry, the first-ever BlackBerry smartphone powered by Android combines the best of BlackBerry's productivity, security and privacy features with the wide world of Google Play store apps, so we expect sales to be strong," added Fast Telecom.

-Ends- 

About BlackBerry
BlackBerry is securing a connected world, delivering innovative solutions across the entire mobile ecosystem and beyond. We secure the world's most sensitive data across all end points - from cars to smartphones - making the mobile-first enterprise vision a reality. Founded in 1984 and based in Waterloo, Ontario, BlackBerry operates offices in North America, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific and Latin America. The Company trades under the ticker symbols "BB" on the Toronto Stock Exchange and "BBRY" on the NASDAQ. For more information, visit www.BlackBerry.com.

About Fast Telecom
Fast Telecom General Trading LLC was established in 2002 in Dubai, and is one of the largest players in mobile device distribution in UAE & KSA markets with strong presence in the entire MENA & GCC region. With the AED 5.8 billion in annual revenue, over 350 employees in 10 countries, the group of companies sell over 10 million devices every year and serve 3,000 partners across the region.

Contact information:
Ieva Naujalyte
Public Relations at Fast Telecom
+971 55 158 0240
ieva@fasttelecom-uae.com

Kim van Bokhoven
PR Manager, BlackBerry Middle East
kvanbokhoven@blackberry.com

Investor Contact
BlackBerry Investor Relations
(519) 888-7465
investor_relations@BlackBerry.com

© Press Release 2016