Agreement will boost the Free Zone's efforts to create a world class telecom infrastructure for businesses

Dubai, November 21st, 2010 -Etisalat today announced its strategic association with Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza) to deliver enhanced telecom & (ICT services) to Jafza tenants at the Freezone with direct access to Etisalat services on a priority basis.

As per the strategic agreement, Etisalat will work closely with Jafza to create value for its customers and bring all the benefits of enhanced ICT services for its tenants thereby making the Free Zone a better place for international companies to do business.

Etisalat, through constant interaction with Jafza customers, would be able to understand their ICT requirements better and provide customized solutions that will further enhance productivity for these organizations.  Etisalat has also set-up a dedicated email smbjafza@etisalat.ae , to facilitate a seamless interaction and provide prompt service to Jafza tenants.

According to Talal Al Hashimi, Managing Director, Economic Zones World, UAE Region: "Our aim is to provide the most conducive economic conditions to cultivate entrepreneurial ambitions. We are an investment destination par excellence, with a thriving work culture and an enabling IT infrastructure. Our agreement with Etisalat is in line with our objective of delivering a world class infrastructure for companies who are based in Jafza. This partnership will further augment the Free Zone's reputation as the premier provider of business services for a diverse range of national and international customers who rely on us to create the most attractive investment opportunities for their business." 

Ibrahim Mohammed Al Janahi, Deputy CEO and Chief Commercial Officer of Jafza said: "Etisalat is one of Jafza's key strategic service partners. This agreement not only strengthens our long-standing relationship with the telecommunications provider but gives our 6400-plus customers access to more sophisticated and differentiated service offerings. Providing advanced technology infrastructure to clients is part of our continuous innovation-led customer-centric strategy. Improved connectivity and operational efficiency gives our customers sustainable competitive advantages in their business and we will work closely with Etisalat to maximise our joint value proposition."

According to Abdulla Al Mana, GM, Etisalat Dubai, Etisalat, "Our partnership with Jafza is a significant milestone and will pave the way for delivery of world class communication services to the Free Zone. Our intention is to work very closely with Jafza to understand their needs and help them achieve their business objectives by enhancing their ICT infrastructure, improving operational efficiency, boosting productivity and optimizing costs through a partnership based approach."

"This partnership is part of our long term strategy aimed at developing a closer relationship with our customers located within specific business zones across the country and to deliver the best in telecom and ICT services to enhance customer satisfaction. The business sector is a vital focus area for Etisalat and we are enhancing our ICT offerings for the sector to help companies achieve higher productivity and operational efficiencies. This latest initiative will also bring more synergies in terms of ICT services & joint marketing activities with Jebel Ali Free zone," said Abdulla Hashim, Senior Vice President, Business solutions at Etisalat.

Jafza is built over an area of 48 square kilometers and ranks amongst the world's largest and the fastest growing free zones. In its 25 years of operations, Jafza has posted more than 320 times growth in its number of companies growing from 19 in 1985 to over 6400 in 2009.

-Ends-

Press release issued by Public Relations Department - Etisalat

For further media information, please contact:
Saeed Albadi,
Senior manager Media Relations
Tel: 02 6182173          
Fax: 02 6334448
prd@etisalat.ae          
www.etisalat.ae

© Press Release 2010