Etisalat is the Middle East’s leading telecommunications operator and one of the largest corporations in the six Arab countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council, with a market value of approximately Dh81 billion (US$22 billion) and annual revenues of over Dh32.9 billion (US$9 billion).

A multinational, blue-chip organization, Etisalat has operations in 18 countries in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Nearly 42,000 people are directly employed by the company.

Etisalat’s international acquisition program began in earnest in 2004 when it won the second mobile license—the first third-generation (3G) mobile license—in Saudi Arabia. Since then, the company has witnessed rapid expansion that has positioned it as one of the world’s fastest-growing operators, with subscribers rocketing around 3,475 percent from four million in 2004 to 141 million in 2013.

For nearly 40 years, Etisalat has helped the UAE sustain a position as the region’s main hub for business, trade, and foreign investment by providing reliable and high-quality services. It is one of the global telecommunication industry’s innovation pacesetters, powering its home country, the UAE, into the top ten nations list by providing the latest technologies first. In 2010, for example, thanks to Etisalat, the UAE was one of the first five countries in the world to offer a 3D television service, known as eLife, across its fiber optic network. Read more on the Official website of Etisalat