Etisalat’s Board of directors proposes a record total dividend per share for the year 2020 of AED 1.20, inclusive of 40 fils special dividends

Etisalat Group announced today its consolidated financial statements for the 12 months ending December 31 2020.

2020 Financial Highlights and Key Developments

• Aggregate subscriber base reached 154 million, representing year over year increase of 3.6%.
• Consolidated Net Profit reached AED 9.0 billion a 3.8% increase year over year attributed to strong growth in the international operations that outweighed the decline in the UAE operations.
• Consolidated EBITDA amounted to AED 26.4 billion, representing a year over year increase of 0.3% and resulting in EBITDA margin of 51.1%.
• Proposed dividend payout of 40 fils per share for the second half of 2020, representing a total dividend payout of 80 fils for the full year.
• Board proposed cancellation of the share buyback program and instead proposed a one-time special dividend of AED 0.40 per share. As a result, the total ‎dividend per share for the full year 2020 is AED 1.20

·             Credit Ratings by agencies S & P Global and Moodys affirmed Etisalat Group’s  high credit rating at AA-/Aa3 with stable outlook.

Community Support during Covid19

Etisalat launched multiple initiatives to support the community during the pandemic including but not limited to:

• • Etisalat provided Free Internet access to families without connectivity at home to facilitate access to distance learning services.
  • More than 10 million Etisalat mobile subscribers enjoyed free browsing to over 800 websites related to education, health and safety.
  • Free access to apps and platforms for distance learning and for government services.
  • Launched enhanced offers for customers to upgrade their home and mobile plans at no extra charge.
  • Etisalat introduced a wide range of device bundles and free access to Etisalat’s unified communication and collaboration platform CloudTalk Meeting to help businesses stay connected.
  • Introduced new innovative applications and services to ensure seamless business continuity during work from home period.
  • Etisalat deployed a dedicated task force to ensure business continuity, monitor the performance of basic applications and ensue smooth access to data locally and internationally
  • Establishing command centres equipped with advanced tools to monitor the performance of services provided to government departments, businesses and customers 24/7
  • Allocating extra network resources and services to the health sector
  • Provided connectivity to quarantined and other critical areas in the health sector
  • Conducted Stay-At-Home awareness campaigns across multiple channels.
  • Etisalat rolled out special offers with the support of the Frontline Heroes Office to help frontline professionals nationwide stay connected to family and friends at home and abroad while protecting the nation through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Industry Recognition

• Etisalat crowned as the ‘Strongest Brand’ in MEA region and ranked the most valuable telecom portfolio brand in MEA for 5^th year in a row
• Etisalat recognised as the fastest mobile network in the world by Ookla
• Etisalat awarded ‘Best Regional Wholesale Carrier’ for the 12^th year
• Etisalat recognised by Frost & Sullivan as  ‘UAE Data Centre Services Industry Company of the year’

Key Developments

• Etisalat completed the acquisition of Help AG, a privately held regional company specialising in the delivery of cyber security solutions and services
• Digital Financial Services, a joint venture of Etisalat and Noor Bank, partnered with MoneyGram to offer international remittance services in the UAE
• Etisalat achieves the world’s fastest 5G download speed of 9.1 Gigabits per second
• Etisalat partnered with Ericsson to connect to its charging system and 5G Business Support Systems (BSS) supporting new use cases including IoT, network slicing, AR and VR
• Etisalat successfully launched open virtual Radio Access Network (Open vRAN), becoming the first operator in 35920346 to achieve this technological feat
• Etisalat unveiled the 5G-enabled smart patrol for Dubai Police, a first in the Middle East and North Africa region
• Etisalat subscribers can now access 5G fixed networks for the first time from their homes in UAE
• Etisalat in partnership with Ministry of Interior signs an MoU with Sheikh Zayed Housing Programme to provide villas with the smart fire alarm solution ‘Hassantuk’
• Etisalat launched ‘Business Edge’, a new comprehensive platform offering a wide range of services and solutions that cater to Small and Medium Business (SMB) customers
• Etisalat teams up with BMW Group Middle East to power connected drive services in UAE
• Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) collaborated with Etisalat to deploy innovative technologies for an advanced telecom infrastructure, high speed internet and superior mobile connectivity
• Etisalat partnered with Microsoft to enhance its public cloud infused with automation and AI
• Etisalat joined Amazon Web Services (AWS) Direct Connect Service Delivery Programme to offer fast, private, and secure connectivity for accessing AWS cloud services
• Etisalat and First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) partnered to deploy a cloud-based IoT Smart Building solution, providing FAB ‘anytime anywhere’ access and ease of operations across its entire portfolio
• Etisalat expands ‘SmartHub’ presence with a Tier 3 data centre facility at two new locations in UAE
• Etisalat partnered with Alef Education, to enable both entities to collaborate on a series of digital initiatives to empower the region’s education sector.
• Etisalat partnered with Smartworld to bring ‘Shahada’, a tamper proof digital certificate platform for all educational institutions in the region.
• Etisalat loyalty programme ‘Smiles’ launched UAE’s first ever blockchain-powered Rewards Exchange
• Etisalat partnered with Department of Health, the regulator of the healthcare sector in Abu Dhabi to launch the ‘Digital Healthcare’ Centre
• Etisalat launched first-of-it-kind telehealth service in the private sector as a continuation of its mission to provide clinical excellence to patients in need
• Etisalat partnered with Vectramind, a global healthcare and communications technology firm to offer ‘Firstpass’ an innovative healthcare platform to its customers in the region.