John Lincoln knows the international telecommunications market. He has been in the sector for 23 years working in seven countries and a variety of cultures, but he still sees the UAE as a special market.
"The UAE is one of the most unique markets both in terms of its mobile penetration of around 200 per cent and the large influx of tourist and visitors coming in," says Mr Lincoln, senior vice president of business marketing with Etisalat.
He joined Etisalat in March this year, jumping ship from its rival du where, for nearly five years, he headed up the enterprise marketing division.
So, what was it like walking out on a business he had helped grow, to go to its competitor?
"The scale is much bigger, there is no comparison. People move companies, there are certain times in your life when you feel it is time to move on to the next level and Etisalat is a much larger company, with a much larger customer base and I have a larger revenue responsibility," says the 54-year-old American, who is also a published author. He released Connect the Dots, a playbook to help people connect to their customers and profits, in November.
"So I moved on. It's a progression and I'm at the stage where I have worked in the telecommunications industry for the past 23 years in the US, in Japan, in the UK, in India, with short stints in Brazil and Thailand, and now in the UAE for the past four and a half years with du, and now with Etisalat. I love the UAE, I love Abu Dhabi and Dubai."
Mr Lincoln'stelecoms experience has spurred him to offer a plan to the burgeoning SME community, offering the likes of an iPhone 5 without upfront costs.
"We want to accelerate our focus on SMEs, we want SMEs to know that Etisalat is the business partner of choice that they can count on. SMEs don't have to compromise on quality to get value for money, that is the key message that I have for the UAE's SMEs.
"This is the first of many things that you will see in the market for SMEs from Etisalat," he says.
This focus on smaller and medium-sized business sounds similar to du's digital and web services offering "The Entrepreneur Plan", launched earlier in the year .
Mr Lincoln claims the two are poles apart. "Etisalat's 'Business Ultimate' betters it on every level, it is a superior proposition," he asserts.
The fact that one can get the latest smartphone for less than Dh100 per month could attract customers, but how is Etisalat doing it?
"We are going to subsidise a certain amount but we are going to recoup the money back over 12 months or 24 months. We will expect you to stay with us. Plus, you will need data, what's the point of having a smart phone if you are not going to have a data package with it and you can buy a 1Gb, 5Gb and a 12Gb package?" Mr Lincoln asks.
To ensure only SMEs get access to the new package, Etisalat has a stringent application process in place.
"You will need a trade licence as it is targeted at businesses, it is not a consumer plan," Mr Lincoln says. "If a husband buys into the plan and gives it to his wife that is his concern, but we will need to see his trade licence first."
business@thenational.ae
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Need to know
The flights: Flydubai flies from Dubai to Kilimanjaro airport via Dar es Salaam from Dh1,619 return including taxes. The trip takes 8 hours.
The trek: Make sure that whatever tour company you select to climb Kilimanjaro, that it is a reputable one. The way to climb successfully would be with experienced guides and porters, from a company committed to quality, safety and an ethical approach to the mountain and its staff. Sonia Nazareth booked a VIP package through Safari Africa. The tour works out to $4,775 (Dh17,538) per person, based on a 4-person booking scheme, for 9 nights on the mountain (including one night before and after the trek at Arusha). The price includes all meals, a head guide, an assistant guide for every 2 trekkers, porters to carry the luggage, a cook and kitchen staff, a dining and mess tent, a sleeping tent set up for 2 persons, a chemical toilet and park entrance fees. The tiny ration of heated water provided for our bath in our makeshift private bathroom stall was the greatest luxury. A standard package, also based on a 4-person booking, works out to $3,050 (Dh11,202) per person.
When to go: You can climb Kili at any time of year, but the best months to ascend are January-February and September-October. Also good are July and August, if you’re tolerant of the colder weather that winter brings.
Do not underestimate the importance of kit. Even if you’re travelling at a relatively pleasant time, be geared up for the cold and the rain.
OIL PLEDGE
At the start of Russia's invasion, IEA member countries held 1.5 billion barrels in public reserves and about 575 million barrels under obligations with industry, according to the agency's website. The two collective actions of the IEA this year of 62.7 million barrels, which was agreed on March 1, and this week's 120 million barrels amount to 9 per cent of total emergency reserves, it added.
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Fixtures
Opening day Premier League fixtures for August 9-11
August 9
Liverpool v Norwich 11pm
August 10
West Ham v Man City 3.30pm
Bournemouth v Sheffield Utd 6pm
Burnley v Southampton 6pm
C Palace v Everton 6pm
Leicester v Wolves 6pm
Watford v Brighton 6pm
Tottenham v Aston Villa 8.30pm
August 11
Newcastle v Arsenal 5pm
Man United v Chelsea 7.30pm
Company name: Play:Date
Launched: March 2017 on UAE Mother’s Day
Founder: Shamim Kassibawi
Based: Dubai with operations in the UAE and US
Sector: Tech
Size: 20 employees
Stage of funding: Seed
Investors: Three founders (two silent co-founders) and one venture capital fund
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
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The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
