Al Suwaidi had a patient but productive 2013, having held negotiations with Vivendi for much of the year to acquire the company’s 53 per cent stake in Maroc Telecom. Etisalat fought off competition from other bidders eventually reaching a $5.3 billion deal in November that will continue the operator’s strategy of diversifying through expansion into African markets. Al Suwaidi also serves as chairman of the UAE’s third largest bank ADCB.