Award-wining mobile commerce solution launched in partnership with Orabank

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, June 23, 2014 - Etisalat Group, the leading telecoms operator in the Middle East, Asia and Africa, has announced the launch of its award winning mobile phone-based commerce service 'Flous' in Gabon.

"This launch represents our most recent innovation, pushing the boundaries of mobile communications by bringing banking to the unbanked in many of our global markets," said Khalifa Al Shamsi, Chief Digital Services Officer at Etisalat Group. "For any market in the world, the combination of services we are providing would be exciting; when this is in the African context, the implications are especially profound."

"The launch of Flous in Gabon marks the latest milestone in our endeavour to provide market-relevant, transformational mobile financial services across our global markets," he said.

Flous, which translates to 'money' in several languages, is a solution that enables customers to use their mobile phones as digital wallets. With Flous, customers can pay for bills, goods and services, transfer money to and receive from friends and family, withdraw and deposit cash, top-up mobile phones, and manage bank accounts.

The service is offered in partnership with Orabank in Gabon. Etisalat and Orabank are expecting to further enrich consumer experience with the development of the Flous ecosystem, enrolling more merchants and agents to support the service.

Mamoudou Kane, Managing Director of Orabank Gabon, said: "The partnership with Etisalat in Gabon delivers a world-class mobile financial service to the Gabonese population. By redesigning the relationship between financial institutions and customers, we will provide banking services to all communities in the country and raise the levels of financial participation."

Upon registration, Etisalat and Orabank will provide customers with virtual bank accounts, enabling them to use their mobile phones as debit cards and manage funds directly from their handsets. The service, which requires a password for each transaction, is designed to give customers security and flexibility, enabling customers to access money 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Service is accessible on any handset, from basic to sophisticated mobile devices.

"Flous is addressing the needs of consumers to smartly, conveniently and securely use their money in Gabon," said Abdoulaye Cisse, the Managing Director of Etisalat Moov Gabon. "Together with Orabank, and with the guidance of the Central Bank, we are providing a service that is globally recognized, while being aligned to the local market realities."

Khalifa Al Shamsi added: "We believe that the benefits to our customers will be immense and that Flous has the potential to transform the way we handle financial services in this part of the world. The mobile phone has already enhanced life in so many ways. It is exciting to think that it now has the potential to replace notes and coins, and give all of our customers access to world-class banking services."

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 recognized as "Best Operator" 10 times since 2006 and "Best Wholesale Provider" four times in the last three years. With a footprint in 19 countries, Etisalat continues to reach out to new customers and markets.

For more information, please contact:
For more information:
Etisalat Media Desk
E:gyoussef@etisalat.ae
T: +91728182877
www.etisalat.com

© Press Release 2014