Page All:
Page 1
Qtel Group and its Operating Companies to Unify Under New Brand
MOBILE WORLD CONGRESS, BARCELONA, Spain, February 25, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --
Leading international communications company becomes Ooredoo
Qtel Group, one of the world's fastest-growing telecommunications companies, has
announced that it will change its brand to Ooredoo, and that each of its operating
companies in emerging markets across the Middle East, North Africa and South-East Asia
will adopt the new brand during the course of 2013 and 2014. These companies, in which
Ooredoo already has a controlling interest, include brands such as Qtel in Qatar, Indosat
in Indonesia, Wataniya in Kuwait, Nawras in Oman, Tunisiana in Tunisia, and Nedjma in
Algeria.
The announcement was made by Ooredoo Chairman His Excellency Sheikh Abdullah Bin
Mohammed Bin Saud Al-Thani at a special launch event at Mobile World Congress 2013 in
Barcelona, Spain. During the event, Ooredoo announced football star Lionel "Leo" Messi as
its global brand ambassador, and agreed to support the Leo Messi Foundation as part of the
company's continued commitment to making a difference in communities across the world.
"With Ooredoo we have chosen an Arabic word that means "I want", to reflect the
aspirations of our customers and our core belief that we can enrich people's lives and
stimulate human growth in the communities where we operate," said H.E. Sheikh Abdullah Bin
Mohammed Bin Saud Al-Thani, Chairman, Ooredoo. "We believe that young people should be
given the life chances that mobile technology can provide; that under-served communities
should be able to access the Internet; that every woman should have an equal opportunity
to use a mobile phone; and that entrepreneurs and small businesses should be able to
receive business services tailored to their needs. Our new brand reflects these beliefs."
The invitation-only launch event included presentations by Anne Bouverot, GSMA
Director General; Cherie Blair, Chairman of the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women; and Dr
Hamadoun Toure, Secretary General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). It
also featured the guest appearance of Qatari Olympic medallist Nasser al Attiyah.
Ooredoo has experienced significant growth over the last six years, transforming from
a single market operator in Qatar to an international communications company with a global
customer base of more than 89.2 million people (as of 30 September 2012) and consolidated
revenues of $6.8 billion for the first nine months of fiscal year 2012. Delivering mobile,
fixed, broadband internet and corporate managed services tailored to the needs of
consumers and businesses in emerging markets, Ooredoo has been the fastest-growing
telecommunications company in the world by revenue since 2006 and its enterprise value has
more than tripled since 2005.
Dr Nasser, Group CEO, Ooredoo, said: "We are very excited to become Ooredoo because
the new brand signals our readiness to take the company to the next level. It is our
belief that we can better serve our global customers by leveraging the combined resources
and assets of a strong, unified global business under one brand. We also believe that
rebranding now will help us to maintain our momentum in the face of new realities for the
industry, signaling our commitment to become a global force."
A number of on-going initiatives, built around its core strategy of differentiating on
customer experience, are already taking Ooredoo to the next level. The company has
initiated a major modernisation programme across its core network and is investing for the
future to deliver high speed broadband as new frequencies and new technologies open up.
Ooredoo has been at the forefront of delivering life-enhancing mobile services, such as
mLearning in Tunisia to support young people's economic empowerment and mWomen programmes
in Iraq and Indonesia. Ooredoo is also providing relevant services to customers who cannot
afford smartphones and working with the GSMA to develop more intuitive devices to overcome
literacy barriers.
About Ooredoo
Ooredoo, formerly known as Qtel Group, is a leading international communications
company delivering mobile, fixed, broadband internet and corporate managed services
tailored to the needs of consumers and businesses across markets in the Middle East, North
Africa and South-East Asia. As a community-focused company, Ooredoo is guided by its
vision of enriching people's lives and its belief that it can stimulate human growth by
leveraging communications to help people achieve their full potential. Ooredoo has a
presence in markets such as Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Algeria, Tunisia, Iraq, Palestine, the
Maldives and Indonesia. The company reported sales of $8.7 billion U.S. dollars in 2011
and had a consolidated global customer base of more than 89.2 million people as of 30
September 2012. Ooredoo's ultimate parent company is Qatar Telecom (Qtel) Q.S.C., whose
shares are listed on the Qatar Exchange and the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange.
Qtel Group
CONTACT: Media contacts for the PR are: Simon Dibb, FTI Consulting, +32 499 51 38 11; Edward Barnfield, Wallis Marketing Consultants, +974 4440 4830
Qtel Group and its Operating Companies to Unify Under New Brand
MOBILE WORLD CONGRESS, BARCELONA, Spain, February 25, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --
Leading international communications company becomes Ooredoo
Qtel Group, one of the world's fastest-growing telecommunications companies, has
announced that it will change its brand to Ooredoo, and that each of its operating
companies in emerging markets across the Middle East, North Africa and South-East Asia
will adopt the new brand during the course of 2013 and 2014. These companies, in which
Ooredoo already has a controlling interest, include brands such as Qtel in Qatar, Indosat
in Indonesia, Wataniya in Kuwait, Nawras in Oman, Tunisiana in Tunisia, and Nedjma in
Algeria.
The announcement was made by Ooredoo Chairman His Excellency Sheikh Abdullah Bin
Mohammed Bin Saud Al-Thani at a special launch event at Mobile World Congress 2013 in
Barcelona, Spain. During the event, Ooredoo announced football star Lionel "Leo" Messi as
its global brand ambassador, and agreed to support the Leo Messi Foundation as part of the
company's continued commitment to making a difference in communities across the world.
"With Ooredoo we have chosen an Arabic word that means "I want", to reflect the
aspirations of our customers and our core belief that we can enrich people's lives and
stimulate human growth in the communities where we operate," said H.E. Sheikh Abdullah Bin
Mohammed Bin Saud Al-Thani, Chairman, Ooredoo. "We believe that young people should be
given the life chances that mobile technology can provide; that under-served communities
should be able to access the Internet; that every woman should have an equal opportunity
to use a mobile phone; and that entrepreneurs and small businesses should be able to
receive business services tailored to their needs. Our new brand reflects these beliefs."
The invitation-only launch event included presentations by Anne Bouverot, GSMA
Director General; Cherie Blair, Chairman of the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women; and Dr
Hamadoun Toure, Secretary General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). It
also featured the guest appearance of Qatari Olympic medallist Nasser al Attiyah.
Ooredoo has experienced significant growth over the last six years, transforming from
a single market operator in Qatar to an international communications company with a global
customer base of more than 89.2 million people (as of 30 September 2012) and consolidated
revenues of $6.8 billion for the first nine months of fiscal year 2012. Delivering mobile,
fixed, broadband internet and corporate managed services tailored to the needs of
consumers and businesses in emerging markets, Ooredoo has been the fastest-growing
telecommunications company in the world by revenue since 2006 and its enterprise value has
more than tripled since 2005.
Dr Nasser, Group CEO, Ooredoo, said: "We are very excited to become Ooredoo because
the new brand signals our readiness to take the company to the next level. It is our
belief that we can better serve our global customers by leveraging the combined resources
and assets of a strong, unified global business under one brand. We also believe that
rebranding now will help us to maintain our momentum in the face of new realities for the
industry, signaling our commitment to become a global force."
A number of on-going initiatives, built around its core strategy of differentiating on
customer experience, are already taking Ooredoo to the next level. The company has
initiated a major modernisation programme across its core network and is investing for the
future to deliver high speed broadband as new frequencies and new technologies open up.
Ooredoo has been at the forefront of delivering life-enhancing mobile services, such as
mLearning in Tunisia to support young people's economic empowerment and mWomen programmes
in Iraq and Indonesia. Ooredoo is also providing relevant services to customers who cannot
afford smartphones and working with the GSMA to develop more intuitive devices to overcome
literacy barriers.
About Ooredoo
Ooredoo, formerly known as Qtel Group, is a leading international communications
company delivering mobile, fixed, broadband internet and corporate managed services
tailored to the needs of consumers and businesses across markets in the Middle East, North
Africa and South-East Asia. As a community-focused company, Ooredoo is guided by its
vision of enriching people's lives and its belief that it can stimulate human growth by
leveraging communications to help people achieve their full potential. Ooredoo has a
presence in markets such as Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Algeria, Tunisia, Iraq, Palestine, the
Maldives and Indonesia. The company reported sales of $8.7 billion U.S. dollars in 2011
and had a consolidated global customer base of more than 89.2 million people as of 30
September 2012. Ooredoo's ultimate parent company is Qatar Telecom (Qtel) Q.S.C., whose
shares are listed on the Qatar Exchange and the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange.
Qtel Group
CONTACT: Media contacts for the PR are: Simon Dibb, FTI Consulting, +32 499 51 38 11; Edward Barnfield, Wallis Marketing Consultants, +974 4440 4830