Page 21 - SAMENA Trends - November-December 2021

REGIONAL & MEMBERS UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Mobily Posts 40% Increase in Net Profit in 9M21

Saudi Arabian mobile network operator portion of its debts. Net profit, meanwhile, for the first nine months of 2021 amounted
(MNO) Etihad Etisalat (Mobily) has improved by 39.9% y-o-y from SAR751 to SAR885 million versus SAR1.765 billion
published its financial results for the million to SAR751 million in 9M21. CAPEX for the similar period of the previous year.
nine months ended 30 September 2021,
reporting a 4.0% year-on-year increase
in revenues to SAR10.937 billion (USD2.9
billion), up from SAR10.513 billion in
9M20. The company claims that the
positive result was due to the growth of
revenues generated by its business unit,
the increase in its fibre-to-the-home
(FTTH) active base and the growth of its
overall subscription base. Further, EBITDA
increased to SAR4.098 billion in 9M21, up
by 3.3% y-o-y, while interest and financial
charges decreased from SAR434 million to
SAR373 million in the period under review,
reflecting the company’s efforts to reduce
funding costs by refinancing of a big

Omantel Selects Hughes to Extend Mobile
Network Reach

Hughes Network Systems has announced across Africa, Asia and Latin America, the Bernhard Van Der Merwe, Vice President
that Omantel has selected the Hughes JUPITER System offers a low-cost and Technology at Omantel, adding: ‘We chose
JUPITER System to extend its mobile effective means of interconnecting cellular the Hughes JUPITER System due to its
networks to serve more customers in base stations, regardless of distance, high performance and efficiency, as well
remote and rural areas of Oman. Omantel infrastructure or terrain. ‘Our aim is to as scalability for the future. This solution
will deploy satellite backhaul of cellular connect more subscribers in more places will enable us to cover new areas with our
network traffic using JUPITER System throughout the Sultanate, and satellite broadband services catering to the needs
equipment, including a gateway hub backhaul helps expand our network of individual and business customers
and hundreds of remote terminals. In into areas where terrestrial backhaul across the country and enabling our digital
use at more than 12,000 mobile sites is onerous or cost-prohibitive,’ said society to grow and expand.’

Omantel to Upgrade Optiva Convergent Charging Engine

Omantel, the integrated telecom services to market for new services. The upgrade “With Optiva as our partner, we feel
provider in the sultanate, has signed will support new business models for 5G confident to execute our digital
a multi-year agreement with Optiva to monetization and introduce Optiva Test transformation strategy and play our
upgrade Optiva Charging Engine™ to a Framework to reduce deployment time role in the Oman 2040 vision. Optiva’s
cloud-native architecture on Omantel’s by up to 70%. As a result, Omantel will cloud-native technology leadership and
private cloud. The upgrade represents gain platform capabilities to deliver new automation framework will allow us to
the next phase of Omantel’s digital customer-centric services and expand launch services faster as we embark on
transformation strategy to use technology its customer base across consumer, the next phase of our growth with 5G and
and automation to drive superior customer fixed, broadband and enterprise market new digital services,” said Samy Ghassany,
experience and significantly improve time segments, supported by Optiva's platform. COO of Omantel.

21 NOV-DEC 2021