The Dubai Blood Donation Centre, of the Dubai Health Authority, signed today a memorandum of understanding ( MoU) with Etisalat and Emarat Al Youm to foster regular blood donation campaigns and support this humanitarian initiative.

The MoU was signed at the Arab Health Congress which is being held at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre. The three-year contract will ensure that both Etisalat and Emarat Al Youm support the Blood Donation Centre by raising awareness about the need to donate blood from time-to-time.

His Excellency Qadhi Saeed Al Murooshid, Director-General of the Dubai Health Authority said, “We would like to thank both parties for supporting us in this noble initiative. When it comes to regular blood donations, the support of the community is vital because blood is a product that has a limited shelf life, that cannot be bought or imported and hence regular voluntary blood donations is the only method to ensure a continuous supply of blood. Both these parties will play a vital role in educating the community and stirring much needed awareness about blood donations.”

Dr Laila Al Shaer, Director of the Dubai Blood Donation Centre “The partnership will help us significantly because both parties will carry out awareness initiatives every three months They will also make people aware of any particular blood group we require and we can inform them in case we face a shortfall.”

Etisalat will support this initiative by encouraging its 800 strong employee base to donate blood. Ali Al Ahmed, Chief Corporate Communication Office for Etisalat said, “We will regularly encourage our employees to donate blood and we will schedule the donations throughout the year. We will organize internal communication campaign throughout the year to educate our employees.”

Al Ahmed also added that the company will reach out to the public through their huge database.  “There is a law governing all messages that go to the public and we will adhere to those regulations. However, as blood donation is a humanitarian initiative, we shall be happy to raise awareness by channelizing our vast database.”

Dr Shaer said that the two parties will create awareness by reaching out to its mass database every three months through sustained campaigns and Emarat Al Youm will support these campaigns by providing pre and post media coverage.

Sami Al Reyami, Editor-in-Chief of Emarat Al Youm said, “ We are pleased to support this noble initiative. This initiative is part of our obligation to the community and is a social responsibility. We urge all members of the society to join us in this initiative.”

Al Shaer said, “We are very thankful to each and every member of the community who have donated blood because they have helped save someone’s life. The key to ensure regular donations is awareness. Therefore, we feel that this partnership is of significant important as we will involve the community members through awareness initiatives.”

Al Shaer highlighted that the blood donation centre is the only and central blood donation centre for the Emirate of Dubai. It supplies blood and blood products to all private and governmental hospitals in the Emirate of Dubai, this includes over 27 private and government hospitals in Dubai.

The DBDC blood collection amounts to 50% of the total blood collected in the UAE. Al Shaer said “The is possible because of the dedication of the community members.”  She said 45 per cent of this blood is used for Thalassemia patients and 27 per cent is used for Trauma patients. 

Al Shaer said, “At the centre, we carry out more than 300 campaigns in a year to donate blood and we visit various governmental organizations, private sector groups etc. We have recently introduced our mobile blood donation unit, which has helped us double the blood collection at every drive.”

Al Shaer said the mobile blood donation unit is a state-of-the-art bus which has 4 couches in the waiting area, 4 beds and complete blood storage facilities. Moreover the unit has a separate room to check the BP, cholesterol and haemoglobin levels of donors prior to any donation.

The Blood Donation Centre conducts blood donation drives every day, except Saturdays.Therefore, on an average the DBDC conducts about 25 campaigns every month. Sometimes the DBDC conducts 2 campaigns a day. Yearly, the DBDC conducts on an average about 300 campaigns. DBDC cooperates with over 250 private and government institutions for blood donations. The minimum number of donors at a camp is 50 and the maximum is 200.

The average annual whole blood collection for the centre is between 32,000 to 35,000 units per year and the average annual collection of blood products like apheresis platelets is 15,000 units 

Al Shaer said in 2010, the centre was able to collect 32,808 units of blood, the highest collection as compared to other blood banks across the UAE.  Of this, 22 581 units of blood was collected through the 357 campaigns held in 2010. The remaining, 10,227 units of blood were collected at the centre.

The DHA blood donation centre is located in the premises of Latifa Hospital and individuals interested in donating blood may contact the centre at 04 2193221 or alternately they may contact  the DHA toll free number 800 342.

Dubai, November 26, 2011 – In its endeavor to increase coverage, convenience and value for customers, Etisalat today announced its alliance with Lloyds TSB in the Middle East, part of one of the world’s most established and respected banking Groups, to enable Etisalat bill payments through the bank’s branches, powered by Etisalat’s eZeepay service. 

The eZeepay service facility will allow customers to check on their outstanding payments, make payments and renew the Wasel service through payment facilities provided by the banks’ branches. The solution will provide a convenient and alternative payment channel to customers, whilst providing a wider reach and easier accessibility for Lloyds TSB in the Middle East to connect with its customers.

Commenting on this initiative, Paul Baker, Head of Money Transmission and Account Services from Lloyds TSB in the Middle East said: “Not only does this service provide our customers with a more efficient way of paying their Etisalat utility bills, but it also provides us with the opportunity to introduce additional settlement channels through the Ezeepay channel.”

Commenting on the service, Abdulla Ebrahim Al Ahmed, Senior Vice President, Business Solutions at Etisalat said: “Etisalat’s focus has been on developing customer centric solutions that increase the convenience, coverage and value for the end user. Our collaborative initiatives, alliances and innovative services such as eZeepay, not only offer convenience to our customers, but also reiterate our focus on developing customer centric solutions.” 

Etisalat has developed many interactive payment channels for customers including - Online Payment, eZeepay, BizDirect services, mPayment services and Mobile Money Remittance.

Dubai : Etisalat recently hosted a focused group workshop for organisations in Dubai Airport Freezone (DAFZA) to showcase how ICT (Information & Communication Technologies) can accelerate the pace of development for organisations, by improving service provision, reducing costs and creating a lasting customer value. The one day workshop focused on emerging ICT trends such as Mobility solutions and Fixed line services.

With technology becoming increasingly important in the delivery of public services, Etisalat’s ICT workshop addressed key issues facing organisations today, whilst giving in-depth analysis through thought provoking discussions on relevant topics such as –harnessing mobility to achieve optimum efficiency, significance of data centre rationalization and outsourced managed services.

Speaking on the occasion, Abdulla Hashim, Senior Vice President, ICT, Etisalat said: “Today, organisations face enormous challenge with respect to achieving budget savings, becoming more data efficient while increasing productivity. ICT is a key factor to realise efficiency, savings and transform service delivery. Effective ICT deployment is not only significant in creating a connected economy but also core to the holistic development of the country.”

During the workshop, Etisalat demonstrated its end to end Managed Telecom & ICT capabilities and customized solutions. The focal point of the workshop was to guide the organisations to create a sustainable ICT strategy for future, and leverage the already existing ICT infrastructure.

 “ICT can play a critical role in facilitating growth by allowing organisations to move away from a capital expenditure model to an operational expenditure model. With our end-to-end ICT expertise and state of the art infrastructure, Etisalat can provide a very strong value proposition to drive productivity and optimize efficiencies across the value chain,” Hashim added.

In terms of Business Solutions, Etisalat today is engaged in delivering a comprehensive range of services encompassing Business Connectivity, Managed ICT, Business Mobility and eBusiness and Managed Security services, thereby offering organisations an ICT partner for better business.

Emirates General Petroleum Corporation “Emarat” has launched a unique promotional campaign that offers its customers Etisalat Wasel Sim Card and up to 160-minute free talk time from Etisalat, when they purchase a Salik re-charge card worth AED 200 from any Emarat service station.

Dr. Rahma bin Mohamed Al Shamsi, Retail Sales Manager at Emarat, said that such promotional offers reflect the Corporation’s commitment towards its customers, and its efforts to develop and enhance strong relationships with them through quality service and innovative offers.

“In these tough economic times, we will continue to promote offers from our service stations which motivate customers to make Emarat their first choice

Abu Dhabi, 7 December, 2011: Reaffirming its commitment to Emiratisation, Etisalat Group announced the appointment of Mr. Ahmed Mohammed Alhosani as Acting Chief Executive Officer in Etisalat Afghanistan and Mr. Ahmed Khalfan Al Mutawa as Chief Financial Officer for Etisalat Zantel, Tanzania. The appointments are in line with Etisalat’s strategy to develop UAE Nationals’ skills and providing them with the opportunities to manage international projects.

Alhosani is a key asset to Etisalat, having been assigned various management positions after progressing through the ranks since his joining in 1992. He has served as Deputy CEO of Etisalat Afghanistan since 2010. Alhosani graduated from Toledo University in the US and has a Bachelor degree in Electrical Engineering.

Ahmed Al Mutawa has held a number of roles within the Corporation in Financial Affairs and Auditing, since he joined in 2001. Before being promoted to Chief Financial Officer for Etisalat Zantel in Tanzania, he served as Vice President for Financial Affairs at Emirates Data Clearing House (EDCH), part of Etisalat Services Holding. Al Mutawa holds a Bachelor degree in Business Applied Administration from Higher Colleges of Technology in Al Ain.

Commenting on the appointments, Mr. Abdulaziz Al Sawaleh, Group Chief Human Resources Officer at Etisalat, stated that Etisalat remains committed towards its Emiratisation strategy and the Corporation continues to focus on training UAE nationals and developing their talents and skills, while encouraging them to take leading positions both locally and abroad. He stated that Emiratis have proven their leadership skills in the most competitive markets, time and time again.

Sawaleh also stressed that Etisalat should utilise its successful status to enhance the position of UAE Nationals, and stated that corporations that do not give back and provide opportunities to its local people will not stay successful in the long term.

“At Etisalat, we’re proud to be one of the key organisations in which Emiratisation is a of our strategy, and the corporation is committed to following approaches that focus on investing in human capital, in order to strengthen its position as one of the key recruiters of qualified personnel in the UAE,” Al Sawaleh concluded.

Abu Dhabi : The Emirates Energy Star project, a joint initiative of Etisalat and Pacific Controls, which aims to reduce the carbon footprint levels in the UAE has received overwhelming support and endorsements from the public sector and private sector enterprises across the UAE. The first phase of the project has witnessed a large number of government entities signing up for the initiative. The unique project is being rolled out across the country under the patronage of the Ministry of Water and Environment, Government of UAE.

The project, harnesses the information, communication, technology (ICT) enabled M2M (machine-to-machine) technology from Etisalat, to substantially reduce energy consumption for organizations, with an aim to bring down the carbon footprint of the country by at least 20 per cent by 2015. The initiative champions the cause of improving energy efficiency in existing buildings thereby reducing the overall carbon footprint.     

Commenting on the program, from Mr. Abdulla Ebrahim Al Ahmed, Senior Vice President, Business Solutions at Etisalat said: “UAE has a significant carbon footprint, due to unabated energy consumption that is creating immense ecological, social and environmental pressure. The ‘Emirates Energy Star’ program will leverage on  M2M based technologies, to effectively help reduce the carbon footprint of the country through efficient energy consumption management. Through this transformational and innovative initiative, both Etisalat and Pacific Controls are doing their bit for the environment, and encouraging other organizations to think about sustainable development.”

Mr. Dilip Rahulan, Executive Chairman, Pacific Control Systems, said: “We are pleased with the support we have received for Emirates Energy Star project so far. It is heartening to note that the decision makers in both the public and private sectors in the UAE understand the importance of reducing energy consumption levels, and the challenges ahead. This unique initiative will not only help reduce the overall carbon footprint of the UAE but also will put us in norm with international guidelines on such emissions.”

All Etisalat clients, who are building owners, contractors, real-estate companies, government entities, and infrastructure owners like utilities and airports, can collaborate and leverage the resources of the Emirates Energy Star offerings. Using Etisalat networks and Pacific Controls Command Control Center, the Emirates Energy Star initiative will optimize their operations, reduce their utilities consumption and service costs, increase the running efficiency of their assets and have the capability to remotely manage them in real time.

The Emirates Energy Star program will help building owners with an initial audit that would identify potential Energy Conservation Measures (ECMs). The program will design ECMs for individual buildings; establish minimum costs; calculate the maximum energy savings; implement the project parameters as contractor; provide on-going monitoring and identification of project performance after completion; and carry out measurement and verification of carbon footprint of buildings in real time.

The Emirates Energy Star, project’s rating system, is being bestowed on participating building owners. It comprises of five successive levels, based on the energy efficiency improvements achieved through the Energy Star Program, beginning with a one star for a minimum of 10 per cent and ending with five stars for 30 per cent and above.

Apart from the obvious cost savings for the end user in the form of lower energy utility bills, the Emirates Energy Star program helps decrease pollution, water consumption and resultant waste. The building owners will be able to recover their investment towards the program from the savings that they make. The payback period for the building owner is in the range of 18-24 months depending upon the STAR rating the client opts. Due to compelling ROI the uptake of this program is expected to be high.

Abu Dhabi, , – Etisalat, the Middle East’s largest telecoms group, and Verimatrix, the specialist in securing and enhancing revenue for multi-screen digital TV services around the globe, have been presented the Global Telecom Business Innovation Award in the Video Service Innovation category for the Etisalat Entertainment Network.

The Etisalat Entertainment Network is a new and secure, regional, end-to-end content delivery platform that is set to accelerate the adoption of digital content services on any screen regionally and is set to be adopted by telcos and ISPs throughout the Middle East and Africa.

Matthew Willsher, Chief Marketing Officer, Etisalat, said: “From TV on smart phones, laptops, tablets and PCs to High-Definition and 3D content at home, the Etisalat Entertainment Network has the power to deliver the television services the consumer wants, when they want it, wherever they may be. We have over ten years’ experience of working with television producers and broadcasters and through our extensive investment in next generation networks and our award winning Smart Hub and wholesale team, we have developed a unique and compelling proposition for all operators across the region.”

The Etisalat Entertainment Network will be offered by Etisalat’s Carrier & Wholesale team through its Smart Hub and offered to regional telecommunications and Internet service providers (ISPs). It will enable any operator partnering with Etisalat to provide premium syndicated television content, across multiple screens (TV, smart phones, tablets and computers) via different networks (fixed and mobile) anywhere in their area of operation.

This solution, which has been developed in association with Verimatrix and Etisalat platform partners that have integrated with the Verimatrix platform, ensures that Etisalat Entertainment Network offers broadcasters the ability to have their content delivered to users regardless of the end device with one of the most robust and flexible content security solutions available today.

By incorporating the Verimatrix Video Content Authority Solution (VCAS™) 3 architecture into the Etisalat Entertainment Network’s back-end systems, content owners will be able to publish their content once, and trust that it will be protected and delivered in a controlled way. This provides access to a very large potential audience with the ISP or telcos existing customers through a partnership with Etisalat.

“Verimatrix continues its singular focus on securing revenue streams for operators deploying advanced multi-network, multi-device video services. Etisalat Entertainment Network is clearly one of our most significant and ambitious deployments for IP-based video,” commented Tom Munro, CEO of Verimatrix. “We are proud to have been recognized for our part in this visionary offering.”

The first country to benefit from this new generation of services will be the UAE and by the end of 2011, more than 350,000 subscribers will be enjoying a next generation Etisalat IP and over the top (OTT) service, through many different types of end devices. This will reinforce Etisalat’s position as the largest ‘telco-TV’ operator in the Middle East.

In the near future, these services will be offered to Etisalat’s family of operators in 18 countries across Asia, Africa and the Middle East and will also be marketed by its award winning Carrier and Wholesale team to other operator groups in the region.

The Global Telecoms Business Innovation Awards were first presented in 2007, at a dinner attended by 160 industry leaders from around the world. In 2011, twice that number of people attended including chief executive officers, chief technology officers and other leaders from operators and vendors throughout the world.

In presenting the awards Alan Burkitt-Gray, editor of Global Telecom Business, commented: “This is the fifth time we have run the Global Telecoms Business Innovation Awards and this year we saw more nominations, from a greater range of operators and vendors, than ever before. We started the Awards in order to celebrate what the industry is doing, making a huge difference to the world, to all of us in business and as consumers. Congratulations to all of this year’s award winners and to Etisalat and Verimatrix for the Etisalat Entertainment Network.”

For more information please visit www.globaltelecomsbusiness.com, www.verimatrix.com and www.etisalat.ae.

Etisalat Afghanistan, a 100% owned subsidiary of Etisalat Telecommunications, UAE and the official sponsor of National Afghanistan Cricket Team announced today renewal of partnership with the Afghanistan Cricket Board to boost and promote Cricket sport in Afghanistan. The ceremony held at Serena Hotel, Kabul  and was attended by Shahzada Masood, Vice Chairman Afghanistan Cricket Board, Yasser Aboul Amayem, Chief Commercial Officer Etisalat Afghanistan,

Nasimullah Danish, CEO Afghanistan Cricket Board among others senior representatives from both sides.

Shahzada Masood, Vice Chairman of Afghanistan Cricket Board while speaking on the occasion said, “Afghanistan Cricket Board greatly values our long standing partnership with Etisalat Afghanistan and deeply appreciate their vision and continuous support towards the development of Cricket in the country. The rise of Cricket in Afghanistan is inspiring the youth with a hope for a bright future.”

Yasser Aboul Amayem, Chief Commercial Officer Etisalat Afghanistan stated, “Etisalat Afghanistan remains committed in empowering Sports in Afghanistan. We have stood shoulder to shoulder with Afghanistan Cricket Board for the promotion and development of Cricket in general and the youth of Afghanistan in particular. We see this as a journey as well as an excellent opportunity to tap the talent of younger segment of the society, encouraging them towards healthy and prosperous activities and there is no better platform available than Sports to give them exposure and a chance to show their skills on the world stage”.

Afghanistan National Cricket team has been ranked among the top ten cricket playing nations across the globe. The National Cricket Team is the reigning champions of ICC Inter Continental Trophy and has also gained the ICC One Day International Status (ODI) till 2013.

For more information please visit:

www.etisalat.af ; www.facebook.com/etisalatAf

For any queries, please contact:

Imran Janjua

ijanjua@etisalat.af

Pakistan Telecommunications Company Limited (PTCL) has won the prestigious “2nd Global HR Excellence Award 2011” in recognition of its outstanding organizational performance in the telecom sector. This award is an acknowledgement of PTCL’s pioneering efforts undertaken to transform our HR policies and practices demonstrated by exceptional commitment towards elevating PTCL to new heights of success by overcoming atypical challenges.

 Commenting on these achievements, Senior Executive Vice President Human Resource, Syed Mazhar Hussain said in recent years, PTCL has firmly established its reputation for redefining and realigning the industrial relations paradigm. In line with contemporary business requirements, it has led organizational development and employee welfare by successfully creating a win-win situation, both for the employees and the organization, to emerge as an employer of choice

The Award’s judges unanimously selected PTCL for this year’s honor in view of the fast-paced progression of its HR Department, and its exceptional achievements in successfully leading the company’s massive post-privatization transition by introducing HR best practices in a very short period of time.

The Global HR Excellence Awards recognize leading organizations that have achieved excellence in the sphere of Human Resource and Organizational Development.

For more information please visit:

www.ptcl.net. pk ;

For any queries, please contact:

Aqeel Shigri

aqeel.shigri@ptcl.net.pk

Dubai: Etisalat, through its exclusive kids channel, e-junior, a part of Etisalat TV services, has embarked on a holistic road safety awareness campaign for school students in the UAE. Themed under the Road Safety this year, the e-junior ‘Catch the Bus’ campaign has been created in collaboration with Total Marketing Middle East.

The e-junior crew conducted a series of interviews and quizzes with children from different schools, to gauge their awareness about road safety rules, tips and signs. All kids with correct answers got gift vouchers from Total Marketing Middle East in addition to stationary from Staedtler.

Commenting on the campaign, Fatiha Bensalem, Sr. Channel Manager/e-junior said: “Etisalat is conscious that children and the youth are our first and foremost stakeholders for a sustainable future. Since road safety is one of the key issues that impact our children, the focus of our ‘Catch the Bus’ campaign this year, has been on road safety. This exciting campaign yet meaningful initiative will encourage kids to learn more about road awareness and safety and not only raise awareness, but also change the way parents, school staff, motorists, and children apply safety measures in their daily lives.” Sharing the same  concerns for Child Road Safety, Philippe Cabus, Managing Director, Total Marketing Middle East said, “This campaign is yet another of our endeavor to spread this message of road safety. To resonate Total’s policy on safety, this campaign is intended to enlighten tomorrows drivers today.”

Etisalat TV services, offered through eLife and e-vision are a leading source for regional entertainment in the UAE to offer over 350 TV channels in 21 different languages, ranging from sports to movies, from documentaries to music and kid’s channels in addition to 32 high definition premium channels. The comprehensive entertainment offerings include 15 premium packages from all the major TV providers like OSN, ART, Pehla, Firstnet, TFC, Pinoy Plus, Abu Dhabi Media, Al Jazeera and many more, in addition to the e-vision Basic package.

Dubai, UAE, 25 October 2011: At the recently concluded GITEX Technology Week, which took place at the Dubai International Conference and Exhibition Centre, Etisalat Information Services successfully showcased its newly upgraded version of Yellow Pages iPhone application,  the most complete and accurate directory in the UAE.

The latest version of the Yellow Pages iPhone application provides a range of new features and enhancements, including a bi-lingual (English and Arabic) interface, a number of special discount deals and provides user reviews about all sorts of company listings.

The latest version of the application, which will be available to download from Apple’s AppStore, is simple to navigate and allows users to search Businesses by Name, by Category, by Brand or by Keyword once the city has been selected.

During the display of the Yellow Pages iPhone application, Rashid Al Naqbi, General Manager, Etisalat Information Services, said: “We are delighted to enhance both the number and quality of services that we can now offer to our customers in the UAE. The new upgraded version of Yellow Pages for iPhone which is developed in coordination with our new partner M/S Express Printing incorporates the latest innovations in information services and is a valuable addition to our growing portfolio. We hope that our valued customers will enjoy using the application’s user-friendly interface and realize the added-value provided in it.”

Etisalat Information Services LLC (eIS) is a member of the prestigious Local Search Association (formerly Yellow Pages Association) which is the largest international organization of print, digital, mobile and social media publishers.

Etisalat Yellow Pages website, www.yellowpages.ae, is the most complete and accurate online directory in the UAE which complements the mobile Yellow Pages platform as well as the print directory, which has been in existence for more than 30 years.