Telecom Operators

Etisalat Group chief executive Ahmad Julfar has resigned from his post with immediate effect.

2015 marked a significant remarkable year of accomplishments and development, especially for touch, the leading mobile telecommunications and data operator in Lebanon. The company, which is managed by Zain Group, the pioneering mobile and data services operator in the Middle East and North Africa, has taken the market by storm, reaching an all-high of 53.8 percent in terms of market share. Touch has also achieved several milestones on all levels during 2015.

Under the auspices of His Excellency the Minister of Telecommunications, Boutros Harb, Alfa, managed by Orascom Telecom, partnered with Kunhadi for the third time to launch a campaign entitled ""There's No Network Underground"" to raise awareness on road safety and the risks of texting while driving.

At the Mobile World Congress 2016 that was held in Barcelona, STC's CEO, Dr. Khaled Hussain Al Biyari, signed an agreement with Qualcomm, represented by its President, Qualcomm MEA & Eastern Europe, Mr. Jihad Srage, in view of establishing a strategic collaboration between both companies in the field of modern and advanced solutions in various domains related to data technology and new generations communications.

Zain KSA launched the 'Marhaba to Paris' application in partnership with Orange at the Arab World Institute (Institut du monde Arabe) in Paris, helping Saudi tourists prepare their journey and their stay in Paris.

Etisalat Group extended its history of success at the industry's most important annual awards: the Glomos. Etisalat came out on top of strong global competition to claim two awards, including the most prestigious title of overall winner and 'supreme' Connected Life Champion.

GBI announced it has joined the Amsterdam Internet Exchange (AMS-IX), one of the largest peering platforms in the world. As part of the AMS-IX Partner Program, GBI has become an official reseller of AMS-IX.

Zain Saudi Arabia (Zain KSA) posted record financial results for the year ended 31st December 2015, reaching breakeven in two consecutive quarters during the year.

The initiative aims to examine the technical and business requirements of virtualizing Etisalat network functions; such as Operations Support Systems (OSS), Value-Added Services (VAS) and Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF). The Etisalat Cloud Factory will also focus on the centralization of these functions onto a distributed data center platform, enabling easier sharing of resources amongst the 18 operating companies in Etisalat Group's footprint.

Zain Group announced a strategic investment in NexGen Group, a leading smart city advisory and consulting services provider based in the UAE - the only consultant for the Smart Dubai project. The investment will lead to the establishment of a specialized business unit delivering smart city services to governments and mega real estate developers, facilitating the deployment of smart city solutions and managed services across Zain's regional footprint.