UAE telecom operator du chairman resigns

UAE telecoms operator du has announced the appointment of a new chairman after Ahmad Abdulla Juma Bin Byat resigned from his role.

Bin Byat served as the company’s chairman for 12 years – since its establishment. No specific reason was given for his resignation.

Mohamed Hadi Ahmed Abdulla Al Hussaini will now take over the new position with immediate effect, a statement said.

Al Hussaini currently sits on the board of directors of five publicly listed entities: Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company, Emirates NBD, Emirates Islamic Bank, Dubai Refreshments Company and Emaar Malls, as well as Dubai Real Estate Corporation.

Dubai-listed Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (EITC)- the holding company for du – was founded in 2005 as the UAE’s second licensed telecommunications provider, breaking Etisalat’s monopoly.

EITC has two telecommunications brands under its umbrella: the du brand was launched in 2007 and has nine million active subscribers and over 100,000 businesses throughout the UAE. EITC launched its second brand, Virgin Mobile, a digital service, in September 2017. Targeting the younger ‘digital-savvy’ generation, Virgin Mobile offers all its services via an app.

Read more: Virgin Mobile brand officially launches in the UAE

 What will Virgin Mobile’s entry mean for the UAE telecom market?

EITC is 39.56 per cent owned by Emirates Investment Authority, 19.75 per cent by Mubadala Investment Company, 19.5 per cent by Emirates International Telecommunications (EIT), and the remaining by public shareholders.