Etisalat Group scoops four Gold Stevie Awards at the International Business Awards in South Korea; Etisalat Group CEO wins Executive of the Year award

Seoul, South Korea, 29 October, 2012

Etisalat Group, the telecommunications corporation with operations in 15 markets across the Middle East, Africa and Asia, has won four Gold Stevie® Awards at the 2012 International Business Awards ceremony, held in the South Korean capital, Seoul. The ceremony was attended by Mr. Saeed Ali Al Zoabi, First Secretary at the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates, Seoul, on behalf of Etisalat.

Etisalat Group won four Gold Stevie award in the four categories entered, including Executive of the Year - Telecommunications, awarded to H.E Ahmad Abdulkarim Julfar, CEO, Etisalat Group. The other awards were Most Innovative Company of the Year in the Middle East and Africa; Best New Product or Service of the Year - Health & Pharmaceuticals - Service for the Etisalat Group's mHealth initiative, Mobile Baby, and Corporate Social Responsibility Program of the Year in the Middle East and Africa, also for Mobile Baby.

Etisalat's award wins at the International Business Awards is a great source of pride for the organization and is the culmination of tireless initiatives and innovations in the field of social responsibility. The awards also reflect Etisalat's goal to accelerate social transformation and economic growth across the Group's markets in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, while the award for "Executive of the Year - Telecommunications" recognizes the work Mr Julfar has done at Etisalat over the past fifteen months to benefit the company and its customers.

Ahmad Abdulkarim Julfar, Chief Executive Officer of Etisalat Group, said: "At Etisalat, we believe telecommunications is transformative. It transforms people's lives, businesses and economies. Our goal is to accelerate social transformation and economic growth across our 15 markets of operation, and we are well on our way in meeting these goals by developing technologies and services that benefit society as a whole."

In-line with Etisalat's social responsibility initiatives, the Mobile Baby programme has been successfully introduced in a number of markets across Africa, and has been effective in assisting with in-facility births and post-partum care in several African countries. The programme has allowed for cheaper maternal care and delivery services, as well as helping to save the lives of several mothers and children.

In September, Etisalat Group also launched the most comprehensive and accessible package of mobile commerce features currently available globally. Etisalat's Mobile Commerce application is a fully functional mobile wallet that offers a full range of mobile banking and transaction services that will provide millions of people with access to banking for the very first time. The service is developed in-line with the Group's strategy of including un-banked and under-banked customers into the regulated financial services space, enhancement of financial transparency and expansion of financial transaction channels.

Earlier this year, Etisalat Group was honoured with an unprecedented three GSMA Global Mobile Awards at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona The Group won two GSMA awards in the 'Best Mobile Health Innovation' and 'mWomen Best Mobile Product' categories for its mobile health innovation Etisalat Mobile Baby that is reducing maternal mortality in developing countries, while the Etisalat Commerce platform was awarded the 'Best Mobile Money Innovation' for making financial services accessible to millions of people, especially the un-banked and under-banked, across the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

-Ends-

About Etisalat:
Strong commitment to excellence and innovation has seen Etisalat become one of the world's fastest-growing telecom groups, rapidly expanding across Asia and Africa. Its UAE operations, strategically located at the crossroads of East and West, enables Etisalat to be the major hub in the Middle East for Internet, voice, broadcast, roaming and corporate data services. Etisalat has been recognised as 'Best Operator' 10 times since 2006 and 'Best Wholesale Provider' four times in the last three years. Servicing over 125 million customers in 15 countries Etisalat continues to reach out to new customers and markets.

For more information: - www.etisalat.com
Ms. Nahid M. Hassan
Etisalat Group Senior Manager Media Relations
E: nahelsayed@etisalat.ae
T: 0097126172187
www.etisalat.com

© Press Release 2012