Page 17 - SAMENA Trends - Gitex Special 2023

INTERVIEW SAMENA TRENDS

The transformation of Etisalat to e& has been a gradual • Diversifying local, regional, and global operations.
process rooted in the Group's telecom heritage. It had already • Amplifying organic growth.
set up Enterprise Digital as a separate business unit to expand • Exploring new markets and strategic opportunities.
its offerings and make headway into the technology realm.
However, to meet customers' growing needs, the company To achieve this, the company put its people at the heart of
realised it was time to adopt a growth mindset, create a future- the transformation, empowering the team to ideate new
ready business model, and focus more on value creation. technologies and services that add more value to customer
experiences and the communities served.
In 2022, the Group began a new chapter in its evolution with a
clearly defined and calculated business growth strategy. The The transformation was successful due to the Group's strong
strategic pivot involved: foundation, innovative products and services, rich content, and
• Building multiple, diversified revenue streams with five digital experiences.
specialist business pillars.

In 2022, e& announced a new chapter in its was driven by several factors and a clear our operations and systematic expansion
evolution with a clearly defined business understanding of the evolving business through both organic means and
growth strategy, expanding its reach landscape. acquisitions drove strong performance and
into various digital verticals, including significant milestones and achievements
cloud services, AI, IoT, cybersecurity, As a telecom company with a strong legacy in 2022.
fintech, entertainment and content. This and market presence, e& recognised
strategic shift was evident in e&’s series of that the digital revolution was reshaping The Brand Finance Global 500 Report
acquisitions and investments over the past industries and customer expectations. It recognised our telecom brand portfolio
18 months, showcasing its commitment to saw the immense potential in leveraging in the MEA region as the most valuable,
diversification and its ability to adapt to its existing infrastructure, expertise, and valued at over $14 billion. Additionally,
changing consumer demands. customer base to extend beyond traditional e& remains the strongest telecom brand
telecom services and explore new avenues across all categories in the MEA region and
The transformation is for growth and innovation. consistently ranks among the top three
telecom brands globally, showcasing our
an ongoing journey, It made strategic investments and also impressive market reach and operational
and with its enriched, expanded its footprint into multiple capabilities.
countries, particularly in Europe, Africa,
and better-structured and the Middle East, tapping into new The transformation is an ongoing
business model, e&’s markets and opportunities. journey, and with its enriched, and better-
structured business model, e&’s vision is
vision is to move forward "Fostering a culture of innovation and to move forward as a customer-focused,
as a customer-focused, collaboration was key to its success. We technology-driven, and digitally oriented
actively sought partnerships with startups,
group empowered by next-generation
technology-driven, industry leaders, and governments, co- technologies.
and digitally oriented creating solutions to address emerging The company’s transformation was driven
challenges. Our rebranding to e& reflected
group empowered by a shift in our identity, signalling that we by establishing five specialised business
next-generation techn- were more than a telecom provider; we verticals: etisalat by e&, e& international,
were a global technology group. This
ologies. transformation was underpinned by a As part of its new, diver-
commitment to upholding the UAE's sified business profile,
“We did not set boundaries for ourselves— sustainable economic development and
and that continues to be our strength,” diversification plans.” e& aims to deliver high-
says Dowidar. “We needed to have value solutions through
flexibility to enable hyper-scaling based “Our journey was marked by adaptability,
on a deeper understanding of customer agility, and a relentless pursuit of cutting-edge technolo-
needs, which called for realigning our excellence. It's an ongoing process, and we gies, such as 5G, artifi-
operations by creating a new, diversified remain committed to pushing boundaries
business model.” and shaping the future of technology,” said cial intelligence, block-
Hatem. chain, and IoT (Internet
The inspiration behind transforming e&
from a telco into a global technology group The focus on value maximisation across of Things).

17 GITEX SPECIAL 2023