UAE telecoms and technology company e&, formerly Etisalat Group, has committed $6 billion over the next two years to boost the digital capabilities and economies of the markets it serves across three continents.
The investment pledge between 2024 and 2026, made to the International Telecommunication Union’s Partner2Connect Digital Coalition, will cover 16 markets, e & said at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on Friday.
The coalition is a leadership-level pledging platform used to mobilise new resources, partnerships and commitments to achieve “universal and meaningful connectivity”, according to the Geneva-based ITU, a specialised agency of the United Nations.
The investments will help boost connectivity, ensure access to cheaper telecoms services and expand the use of artificial intelligence.
“We aim to drive economic growth, innovation … significantly reducing inequalities … [for] a more inclusive and connected digital world”, said Hatem Dowidar, group chief executive of the Abu Dhabi-based conglomerate.
E&’s investments cover the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Benin, Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Pakistan and Togo.
The pledge will support the advancement of economies that are “digitally inclusive while making people’s overall lives better”, Mr Dowidar said.
E& said it will also help facilitate the widespread adoption of digital services, including mobile financial solutions, telehealth and education in underserved areas.
The group is also set to reinvest in building networks of the future to accelerate technology adoption and increase fibre penetration and fast mobile network speeds, it added.
“With these investments, we can also better serve customers and allow them to engage in more economic activities,” Mr Dowidar said.
E& is among a number of technology companies that have made a pledge to Partner2Connect at the MWC.
The commitments include China Telecom's $1.4 billion for the country's remote villages, Veon's $600 million to build Ukraine's digital infrastructure and Qatar's Ooredo, which committed $1.1 billion for developing countries across North Africa, the Middle East and Indian Ocean.
Partner2Connect has mobilised commitments worth more than $46 billion over the past two years.
“Universal meaningful connectivity is within our grasp. Thanks to these new commitments, millions of people will benefit from accessible and affordable connectivity across the world,” said Doreen Bogdan-Martin, secretary-general of the ITU.
With the telecoms industry disrupted heavily by technology, operators are rapidly transforming their operations to widen their operational reach and add new revenue lines as competition intensifies.
E& is open to acquisitions or partnerships that will allow it to diversify its portfolio, expand locally and overseas, and increase its consumer base, the company's top executives earlier told The National.
Robust economic growth in e&'s markets have boosted its bottom line, with the company this month reporting a 3 per cent rise in it 2023 profit to $2.8 billion. Revenue for the reporting period climbed 2.5 per cent annually to $14.65 billion.
The company is also projected to lead revenue growth in the GCC telecoms sector this year as companies shore up their assets in new international markets, according to Moody's Investors Service.
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When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
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Egypt
Dh514 for citizens; Dh865 for tourists
Information can be found through VFS Global.
Jordan
Dh212
Centres include the Speciality Hospital, which now offers drive-through testing.
Cambodia
Dh478
Travel tests are managed by the Ministry of Health and National Institute of Public Health.
Zanzibar
AED 295
Zanzibar Public Health Emergency Operations Centre, located within the Lumumba Secondary School compound.
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Dh85
Abu Dhabi’s Seha has test centres throughout the UAE.
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Flight connections to Ulaanbaatar are available through a variety of hubs, including Seoul and Beijing, with airlines including Mongolian Airlines and Korean Air. While some nationalities, such as Americans, don’t need a tourist visa for Mongolia, others, including UAE citizens, can obtain a visa on arrival, while others including UK citizens, need to obtain a visa in advance. Contact the Mongolian Embassy in the UAE for more information.
Nomadic Road offers expedition-style trips to Mongolia in January and August, and other destinations during most other months. Its nine-day August 2020 Mongolia trip will cost from $5,250 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, two nights’ hotel accommodation in Ulaanbaatar, vehicle rental, fuel, third party vehicle liability insurance, the services of a guide and support team, accommodation, food and entrance fees; nomadicroad.com
A fully guided three-day, two-night itinerary at Three Camel Lodge costs from $2,420 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, accommodation, meals and excursions including the Yol Valley and Flaming Cliffs. A return internal flight from Ulaanbaatar to Dalanzadgad costs $300 per person and the flight takes 90 minutes each way; threecamellodge.com
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Also on December 7 to 9, the third edition of the Gulf Car Festival (www.gulfcarfestival.com) will take over Dubai Festival City Mall, a new venue for the event. Last year's festival brought together about 900 cars worth more than Dh300 million from across the Emirates and wider Gulf region – and that first figure is set to swell by several hundred this time around, with between 1,000 and 1,200 cars expected. The first day is themed around American muscle; the second centres on supercars, exotics, European cars and classics; and the final day will major in JDM (Japanese domestic market) cars, tuned vehicles and trucks. Individuals and car clubs can register their vehicles, although the festival isn’t all static displays, with stunt drifting, a rev battle, car pulls and a burnout competition.
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Selected fixtures
All times UAE
Wednesday
Poland v Portugal 10.45pm
Russia v Sweden 10.45pm
Friday
Belgium v Switzerland 10.45pm
Croatia v England 10.45pm
Saturday
Netherlands v Germany 10.45pm
Rep of Ireland v Denmark 10.45pm
Sunday
Poland v Italy 10.45pm
Monday
Spain v England 10.45pm
Tuesday
France v Germany 10.45pm
Rep of Ireland v Wales 10.45pm
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