Page 26 - SAMENA Trends - March 2020

REGIONAL & MEMBERS UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

in the AGM, Mr. Jean Christophe Durand retirement cost is 7% higher year-on-year, the leading provider of innovative digital
and Mr. Ahmed Abdulwahed Abdulrahman. driven by the 5% YoY reduction in operating services and connectivity in Bahrain, we
Batelco Chairman Shaikh Abdulla bin expenses.” “I am pleased to welcome the have ambitious plans for 2020. We will
Khalifa Al Khalifa said, "We are delighted to new Board for the next three year term and be investing in adjacent businesses in
announce strong performance for Batelco look forward to working with them and Bahrain and the MEA region, focusing on
during the year, which in turn contributed utilizing their expertise and knowledge in specific clusters of FinTech, B2B solutions,
to good dividends for shareholders as part helping consolidate Batelco’s position. e-government and e-commerce. As a result,
of efforts to continuously deliver improved I would also like to thank the Board this will diversify our revenue streams and
value for them. Achieving the best financial members who have served in the previous create investment opportunities in different
results for shareholders is Batelco's top term for their outstanding contributions digital technologies," he added. Prior to the
priority." “Revenues for the full year 2019 in supporting the Company’s plans and conclusion of the meeting, Shaikh Abdulla
were BD401.5M (US$1,065.0M), and development,” he added. Batelco CEO expressed his sincere appreciation for the
revenues in the home market of Bahrain Mikkel Vinter said, "In 2019, we achieved outstanding efforts of the Board members,
have increased by 5% year-over-year key milestones to support the Company's the executive management team and
boosted by revenues from fixed broadband, digital transformation journey, such as all the Company’s staff members, who
data communications and mobile the commercial launch of the 5G network contributed to the positive results. "I would
services. 2019 saw EBITDA decrease by for the first time in Bahrain, an important also like to extend my appreciation to our
1% in comparison to 2018, impacted by step in enabling the growth of the digital shareholders for their continued support
BD11.1M (US$29.4M) voluntary employee economy. This year, we plan to further and confidence in our strategic direction,"
retirement program cost. Adjusted EBITDA increase the areas of 5G coverage around Shaikh Abdulla concluded.
for the year without the voluntary employee the Kingdom." “To position Batelco as

Batelco and Aptilo Networks Partner For First-Class Wi-Fi Services in
Bahrain

Manama, Bahrain: Batelco, the leading in innovation and stability makes them the as secure and seamless as any mobile
digital solutions provider in the Kingdom of right choice for us to support the growing network. “Operator managed Wi-Fi is
Bahrain, and Aptilo Networks have entered demands of our enterprise customers,” he crucial not only as a profitable business but
into a partnership to deliver business-to- added. Furthermore, Batelco will deploy also to get indoor footprint for subscribers.
business (B2B) or (B2B2C) Wi-Fi services an additional Wi-Fi connection (SSID) This will become increasingly important in
in Bahrain. Batelco has selected the Aptilo exclusively for Batelco subscribers at most the 5G era,” said Anders Emilsson, VP Sales
Service Management Platform™ (SMP) public locations. When Batelco mobile Middle East & Africa, Aptilo Networks. “We
with the Aptilo SMP Venue Wi-Fi Manager™ subscribers switch on their Wi-Fi, they are proud that Bahrain's leading operator
to deploy a nationwide managed Wi-Fi will instantaneously connect to the secure has selected us. Their insights in the
service. Batelco offers managed venue Wi- Wi-Fi network at these locations. It is the market and the dynamics of Wi-Fi will
Fi services to enterprise customers, with SIM authentication functionality of the make them very successful,” he added.
the service deployed either on top of the Aptilo SMP that makes the Wi-Fi network
customer’s existing Wi-Fi equipment or
as a fully managed service with the Wi-Fi
infrastructure included. Batelco General
Manager Enterprise Abderrahmane
Mounir said, “We were looking for a
vendor agnostic solution that could match
our high ambitions in scaling our Wi-Fi
business both in terms of volume and
functionality, and at the same time have
a platform that will allow Batelco and its
enterprise customers to engage with the
wifi users.” “Aptilo’s proven track-record

26 MARCH 2020