UAE's Etisalat Marks 50 Years, Returns To Founding Brand Name

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) UAE's first telecom operator etisalat has marked 50 years of operations with a heartfelt tribute to the nation and an announcement that the company will forge its way forward with its founding brand name- etisalat.

In an announcement on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX), the company revealed that etisalat is the name it will be using henceforth as it is a name that reflects its heritage, strategy and ambition for the artificial intelligence era.

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“Our strategy is built on that foundation: connecting people, enabling businesses and developing the infrastructure that makes intelligent systems possible,” the company noted.“etisalat means connection. For fifty years, that purpose has guided what we build and the role we play. Today, it carries even greater significance as we bring connectivity, digital capabilities and infrastructure together to enable new opportunities.”

Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels. An emotional note looking back and forward

On its website, the company shared an emotional anniversary message fondly remembering how it has been a part of the nation's journey.

“From the first lines stretched across the desert to the region's first mobile network, from bringing the internet to the UAE to making it one of the most fibre-connected nations on earth, we've spent five decades making the next thing possible,” the message read.“First at home, then in every market we've grown into.”

The company then gave credit to its customers for its growth.“The story was never really about networks. It was about what you did with them,” the message read.

"You called home and it felt closer. You built businesses, studied, worked, paid, streamed and shared. You watched your children grow up on a screen when you couldn't be there. And when it mattered most, through a pandemic that moved a whole country online, through rain and floods, you stayed close to the people who count."

In a line that captured the sentiment of the occasion, etisalat declared: "We built the network. You gave it meaning."

The announcement comes as the telecom operator rolled out a range of promotions for its users on the occasion of its anniversary.

Founded in 1976, etisalat was established as a joint venture just five years after the nation's formation. It launched the Middle East's first mobile network in 1982, introduced GSM services in 1994, brought the internet to the UAE in 1995, and rolled out 3G and MMS in 2003.

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