E& has joined forces with international companies such as SK Telecom, Deutsche Telekom, Singtel and Indosat to launch a global alliance in AI for telecoms. Photo: E-Vision
E& has joined forces with international companies such as SK Telecom, Deutsche Telekom, Singtel and Indosat to launch a global alliance in AI for telecoms. Photo: E-Vision
E& has joined forces with international companies such as SK Telecom, Deutsche Telekom, Singtel and Indosat to launch a global alliance in AI for telecoms. Photo: E-Vision
E& has joined forces with international companies such as SK Telecom, Deutsche Telekom, Singtel and Indosat to launch a global alliance in AI for telecoms. Photo: E-Vision

UAE's e& posts 20% rise in Q3 profit as subscriber base grows


Alkesh Sharma
  • English
  • Arabic

UAE telecoms and technology company e&, formerly known as the Etisalat Group, reported that its net profit jumped 20 per cent in the third quarter as its subscriber base grew.

Consolidated net profit in the three-month period ended on September 30 increased to Dh3 billion ($816 million), the company said in a statement on Tuesday.

Revenue in the quarter reached Dh13.4 billion, up 3.3 per cent year on year.

“We remain committed to lead the change by taking our first steps in sustainable mobility and transforming our business with AI [artificial intelligence]-powered solutions while realising our vision of digitally empowering societies,” said Hatem Dowidar, e&’s group chief executive.

Total group subscribers reached 167 million in the last quarter, about five million more than the same period last year.

In the UAE market, the number of subscribers reached 14 million in the third quarter, up 4.7 per cent on a yearly basis.

In the September quarter, e&'s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation increased nearly 2.7 per cent annually to Dh6.9 billion.

The company is currently in the process of expanding its footprint and has been on an acquisition spree.

This is part of a broader shift in the telecoms industry, where companies are incorporating new technology into their operations to grow their customer bases and introduce additional sources of revenue.

The Abu Dhabi-headquartered company has increased its stake in Vodafone Group to 14 per cent as it continues to consolidate its shareholding in the British company as part of its international expansion plans.

Hatem Dowidar, e&’s group chief executive. Leslie Pableo / The National
Hatem Dowidar, e&’s group chief executive. Leslie Pableo / The National

In August, e& capital – the investment unit of the global technology conglomerate e& – led a $5 million series A funding for Maxbyte, an Abu Dhabi-based technology firm.

In July, e& said it was considering acquiring a stake in Ethiopia's Ethio Telecom, which would potentially boost its international portfolio. That would potentially give e& access to 25 other countries across Europe, North America, Asia and Africa.

In May, it invested $60 million for a 10 per cent stake in South Korea’s cloud management company Bespin Global, and also formed a joint venture that will provide public cloud services in the region.

In April, it signed a $400 million deal to acquire a majority stake in Careem’s Super App.

It has also joined forces with international companies such as SK Telecom, Deutsche Telekom, Singtel and Indosat to launch a global alliance in AI for telecoms.

“This alliance will pave the way for new innovations and co-development of the telco AI platform,” e& said.

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

 

MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW

Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman

Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5

Brief scores:

Scotland 371-5, 50 overs (C MacLeod 140 no, K Coetzer 58, G Munsey 55)

England 365 all out, 48.5 overs (J Bairstow 105, A Hales 52; M Watt 3-55)

Result: Scotland won by six runs

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills

Juliet, Naked
Dir: Jesse Peretz
Starring: Chris O'Dowd, Rose Byrne, Ethan Hawke​​​​​​​
​​​​​​​Two stars

The specs

Engine: 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6

Power: 380hp at 5,800rpm

Torque: 530Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm

Transmission: Eight-speed auto

Price: From Dh299,000 ($81,415)

On sale: Now

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Greatest Royal Rumble results

John Cena pinned Triple H in a singles match

Cedric Alexander retained the WWE Cruiserweight title against Kalisto

Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt win the Raw Tag Team titles against Cesaro and Sheamus

Jeff Hardy retained the United States title against Jinder Mahal

Bludgeon Brothers retain the SmackDown Tag Team titles against the Usos

Seth Rollins retains the Intercontinental title against The Miz, Finn Balor and Samoa Joe

AJ Styles remains WWE World Heavyweight champion after he and Shinsuke Nakamura are both counted out

The Undertaker beats Rusev in a casket match

Brock Lesnar retains the WWE Universal title against Roman Reigns in a steel cage match

Braun Strowman won the 50-man Royal Rumble by eliminating Big Cass last

BMW M5 specs

Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor

Power: 727hp

Torque: 1,000Nm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh650,000

WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?

1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull

2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight

3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge

4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own

5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed

The specs

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Transmission: ten-speed

Power: 420bhp

Torque: 624Nm

Price: Dh325,125

On sale: Now

SPECS
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Name: Brendalle Belaza

From: Crossing Rubber, Philippines

Arrived in the UAE: 2007

Favourite place in Abu Dhabi: NYUAD campus

Favourite photography style: Street photography

Favourite book: Harry Potter

Dust and sand storms compared

Sand storm

  • Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
  • Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
  • Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
  • Travel distance: Limited 
  • Source: Open desert areas with strong winds

Dust storm

  • Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
  • Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
  • Duration: Can linger for days
  • Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
  • Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Results
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Scoreline:

Everton 4

Richarlison 13'), Sigurdsson 28', ​​​​​​​Digne 56', Walcott 64'

Manchester United 0

Man of the match: Gylfi Sigurdsson (Everton)

Company%20profile
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
About Karol Nawrocki

• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.

• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.

• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.

• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What is a robo-adviser?

Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.

These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.

Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.

Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.

The%20specs
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Updated: October 31, 2023, 5:17 PM`