Etisalat has been named as the world’s strongest telecom brand and is the first brand from the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region to be given this recognition by Brand Finance, a leading brand valuation authority.
Strongest brand
With a telecom portfolio of well over USD 12.5 billion, Etisalat not only retained its AAA brand rating but was also named the strongest brand across all categories in the MEA and the most valuable brand portfolio.
Eng. Hatem Dowidar, CEO, Etisalat Group, said, “To be recognised as the world’s strongest telecom brand and as the most valuable telecom brand portfolio in MEA underline the success of our strategic initiatives to build a robust telecom infrastructure that creates added value for our customers wherever we serve. With our relentless focus on being customer-centric, we continue to push our horizons by investing in next generation technology that enhance our service offering and help shape the digital future.”
Dowidar added, “In this digital-first era, our focus is to be agile to meet the evolving requirements of our customers and deliver relevant and flexible services. Since our inception in 1976, we have been led by a vision to create a world-class telecom infrastructure that is central to economic progress. We are inspired by the support and guidance of the UAE leadership to stay innovative and future-focused so that we can continue to empower communities and enrich lives.”
Strong leadership
Brand Finance also named Dowidar to the global Elite List of Brand Guardians. The listing recognises the ground-breaking initiatives launched since Dowidar joined Etisalat in September 2015, which have played a role in propelling Etisalat’s business growth. Assuming the role of Group CEO in 2020, Dowidar oversaw the company’s growth through the fast-changing telecom and technology landscape during the COVID-19 pandemic.
David Haigh, Chairman and CEO, Brand Finance, said, “Guided by the vision to ‘drive the digital future to empower societies’, Etisalat is the world’s strongest telecoms brand of 2022, as well as retaining its status as the strongest brand in the Middle East and Africa for the second consecutive year. Etisalat’s brand focuses on togetherness and plays its part by providing a first-class telecoms infrastructure across its footprint. Exceptional rollout of 5G technology has also meant that the Etisalat Group’s portfolio of brands is the most valuable amongst telecoms organisations in the Middle East.”
Teamwork
Attributing the success to his team at Etisalat, Dowidar added, “Our significant brand value growth is the result of the contributions and dedication of our employees across all the markets where we operate. Alongside our partners, they are the cornerstones of our efforts to be a digital-first company that is future-ready, while upholding our vision to empower societies, and turn challenges into opportunities.”
The UAE leads the world in fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) penetration rate, and Etisalat’s fibre-optic infrastructure offers fibre to a wide variety of business operations. Etisalat was also hailed as the world’s fastest mobile network by network testing firm Ookla.
Empowering the digital future
As the telecom sector continues to evolve at high speed, Dowidar is focused on strengthening Etisalat’s strategic role in empowering the communities it serves in global markets, he said. “Our proven ability to deliver seamless connectivity is our differentiating strength. We are fully equipped to unlock the potential of digital technologies to drive digital transformation at all levels – from government to business to individuals. Our recognition as the world’s leading telecom brand further fuels our ambition to expand to new geographies and build innovative partnerships, underpinning Etisalat as a brand that makes a positive difference,” he added.
Etisalat’s digital arm offers a wide variety of digital B2B services, particularly in cybersecurity, the Internet of Things (IoT), and cloud connectivity. Help Ag, Etisalat Enterprise Digital’s cybersecurity arm, protects customers against identity theft and serve as an effective digital transformation vehicle.
