Nawras gets closer to Oman's creative leaders as Ideas Partner for TEDx Muscat

Muscat, 18 May 2012 - Nawras, Oman's customer friendly communications provider, is proud to have been the Ideas Partner of TEDx, a vibrant conference for young people that was dedicated to stimulate 'Ideas Worth Spreading'. The sole telecoms supporter of the event held at the Millennium Resort in Musannah on 16 May, Nawras was a natural partner as innovation and creativity are strong company characteristics.

Raed Dawood, Acting Director of Communications at Nawras, said, "TEDx is a high-profile global event and as the Ideas Partner for TEDx, Nawras brings together corporations and individuals who want to help change the world through educational forums and the sharing of ideas. We are committed to building the capacities of youth and hope that TEDx inspires the young people of Oman to follow their creativity, remarkable thinking and innovation."

Nawras is a keen supporter of innovation and the company leads by example through sponsorships of a variety of youth initiatives to get closer to young people in Oman. Recently Nawras supported the First Students Creative Forum, hosted a social media workshop at the Muscat Youth Summit and took part in Outward Bound Oman which aims to unlock human potential and develop skills and confidence in young Omanis through challenging outdoor journeys. The dynamic telecommunications company also had a Nawras family member, Faisal Al Bakri, Department Head of CEO's office, participating in the Ford Focus Inter-GCC Rally Challenge as a driver in the winning Qadiroon team.

Demonstrating an understanding and appreciation of the needs of young people, in 2008 Nawras introduced Shababiah, as the first and only mobile service designed for youth in Oman. Customers under 25 years old can join the community and enjoy a free Rannati subscription as well as a rate of only 29 Baiza per minute to call their friends with Nawras and an SMS rate of only 9 Baiza.

Nawras strives to provide pleasingly different and innovative solutions to its customers through open discussions and exchange of ideas, similar to the platform adopted by TEDx. With 250 attendees including high profile speakers and innovators from around the world as well as local achievers, the event was also streamed live to a worldwide audience through the conference website.

-Ends-

Nawras:
Omani Qatari Telecommunications Company SAOG was founded and registered in the Sultanate of Oman in December 2004. It launched its service in March 2005 as the challenger mobile operator in Oman operating under the name Nawras. Nawras was awarded the second fixed licence in Oman in 2009, and launched its international gateway in April 2010, its corporate fixed and broadband services in May 2010, and its residential fixed and broadband services in June 2010. Since 2010 Nawras has been an integrated services telecommunications operator and is currently serving around 2 million customers across the Sultanate. Following a successful IPO, Nawras is listed on the Muscat Stock Market (MSM) under the "nwrs" ticker since 1 November 2010. Nawras is majority owned by the Qtel Group and also has a number of significant Omani shareholders which ensures that the company is strongly integrated into the Omani society. Nawras has won a number of awards including Customer Service Excellence Award in Telecom Sector 2012 from Oman Customer Care Conference, Innovation in HR Strategy 2011 from Asia's Best Employer Brand Awards, Outstanding Leader from TMT Finance Middle East 2011, Best IPO in the Middle East from emeafinance magazine and Strategic Leadership Award from Global HR Excellence Awards 2011.

About Qtel Group:
The Qtel Group is a leading international communications company, with a significant presence in the MENA region and Southeast Asia, and having a consolidated customer base of 83.4 million as of December 2011. It operates a portfolio of brands including Qtel, Indosat, Asiacell, Wataniya, Nawras, Nedjma and Tunisiana.

The Qtel Group's principle activities are mobile telephone services, broadband solutions, digital futures and fibre technologies, serving both consumer and business markets. Headquartered in Doha, Qatar, Qtel Group is ambitiously growing its global business on the basis of its insights into the needs of customers in emerging markets. Qtel Group's ultimate parent company is Qatar Telecom (Qtel) Q.S.C., whose shares are listed on the Qatar Exchange and the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange.

For further information please contact:
Julie Amann
Press Manager
e-mail: julie.amann@nawras.om
+968 9510 3669

Shaza Taher
TRACCS Public Relations
email: shaz.taher@traccs.net
+968 960 18881