Hatem Dowidar

It was an honour to take the stage earlier today at World Governments Summit 2025 with a keynote on innovating our way to a more connected world.

We’ve made incredible strides. What once seemed like a far-off dream, like AI-powered networks or was not economically feasible, like satellite backhaul for cellular coverage, is now a reality.
But here's the truth: it's still not enough. While 5.5 billion people are connected, there are still 2.6 billion who remain offline. And if we don’t act quickly, the gap in education, healthcare, and economic opportunities will only grow wider.

In today's panel discussion with Margherita Della Valle, Mickey Mikitani and Sam Jacobs we discussed that connectivity is more than just access, it’s about empowerment and must be accessible to everyone. And this means working with all stakeholders-businesses, governments, and innovators to create the right frameworks that balance innovation with inclusivity.

As we continue these discussions at the summit, one thing is clear: innovation must be inclusive. The true power of technology lies in who it empowers, just as much as who it connects.

#WGS2025 #DigitalInclusion #TechForGood #AiForGood #eAnd

e&’s 2023 financial results have been released, and here are a few highlights:

-Our consolidated revenues reached AED 53.8 billion, a growth of 8.3% year-over-year, at constant exchange rates, and we recorded a consolidated net profit of AED 10.3 billion, growing 3% year-over-year.
-After the successful business transformation of the Group, we expanded the business verticals and were able to diversify the revenue streams without compromising the efficiency of e&’s operations
-Consequently, our subscriber base also grew reaching 169 million with an increase of 4% over 2022.

Our increased stake in Vodafone Group to 14.6% positions us as the company's largest stakeholder, solidifying our strategic presence in the telecommunications industry and creating one of the biggest strategic partnerships in the industry. We are also in the process of finalising our partnership in PPF Telecom this year, giving us a controlling stake in the company's operations in Bulgaria, Hungary, Serbia, and Slovakia. And the 100% acquisition of Telenor Pakistan by PTCL.Official underscores our commitment to global expansion and consolidation in emerging markets.
The accelerating growth of our digital businesses e& life and e& enterprise is further confirmation of the successful strategy change.

We will continue to thrive as a global technology leader connecting people, businesses, and communities to drive sustained future growth.

Thanks to the team behind this success and to our loyal customers and shareholders for their continued trust in our vision.

#eAnd #FinancialResults #Investment #Growth #Expansion #Acquisitions #Tech #Innovation

As we continue to strengthen our position in key markets, today we took yet another major step forward as e& PPF Telecom Group signed an €825 million binding agreement with United Group to acquire 100% stake of SBB, a leading provider of cable TV and broadband services in Serbia, serving over 700,000 customers.
 
Subject to regulatory approval, combining SBB Serbia BroadBand with Yettel.Srbija is a remarkable milestone for e& PPF Telecom in as it becomes a fully converged player in Serbia, and further strengthens e& PPF in the region.
 
With this deal we are setting the stage for long-term leadership. We continue to build on our successful track record of delivering transformative solutions, accelerating our growth trajectory, and enhancing our global footprint— all while creating enduring value to our customers, shareholders, and communities.


Balesh Sharma Khalifa AlShamsi Karim BENNIS, PhD, MBA Ilya Kiykov, CFA, ACCA Brooke Lindsay
 
#eAnd #eAndPPFTelecom #StrategicAcquisition #GoForMore #Growth

With UAE President H.H. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan announcing that the UAE’s Year of Sustainability will continue throughout 2024, I am proud to report two further milestones achieved in our e& Sustainability journey.

Our #NetZero targets have been validated by SBTI, following an external review of our commitments and numbers.

Our environmental progress has seen us upgraded to a B rating in CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project), a further step forward on our journey to securing an A rating.

e& is committed to scaling further its sustainability activity in this extended year of Sustainability. In 2024, we will publish the e& Climate Transition Plan to share how we will meet our targets, and address biodiversity, water scarcity, nature action, circularity and other key issues, putting climate change at the centre of our operations.

Huge thanks go to all our colleagues at e& in the technology, operations, sustainability teams and the Group for their hard work in making these forward steps.

#Sustainability #GreenUAE #sustainablefuture

An unusual post that is not about a new technology or a big recent success of the company. But rather about maintaining the energy to keep going. A suitable post for the weekend.

It’s important to do things that take your mind off work for some minutes or hours to be able to come back and look at issues with a different and fresh perspective.

Sports is a given and is essential for me and many people to diffuse negative energy and generate positive energy. Probably the topic of another post.

In addition, there are many hobbies or activities that can help you chill outside work. One important such activity - for me - is movies and TV series, specially science fiction, fantasy and history.

One such TV series, with I really enjoyed in its many seasons, is Vikings, which has a very interesting mixture of real history and fantasy. I had an amazing surprise when I went out with some colleagues for a Viking themed dinner and after dinner was presented a signed poster of the series by my colleague Maaz Sheikh of STARZPLAY. Thank you Maaz and thank you Khalifa AlShamsi for organising the evening out.


#energy #fun #tvshow #vikings #team

I’m incredibly pleased to share that e& UAE retained its position as the World’s Fastest 5G Network and reclaimed its title as the World’s Fastest Network— the first operator in Ookla’s history to hold both awards simultaneously.

What makes this even more special is that we’re outperforming ourselves. In just five years, we’ve increased our speed fivefold, breaking our own records.

These achievements are only possible because of our team’s drive for innovation—a ‘Go for more’ mindset that challenges us to continuously surpass our own performance and redefine industry standards.

From delivering the most reliable and consistent quality to offering the fastest speeds and best coverage, true connectivity means seamless collaboration, real-time responses, and empowering people to share moments, build relationships, achieve their dreams with confidence, and inspire them to go for more.

*#eAnd #eAndUAE #Ookla #WorldsFastestMobileNetwork #WorldsFastest5GNetwork #GoForMore*”

Congratulations to Manchester City Football Club on their remarkable and momentous achievement of clinching their maiden UEFA Champions League title, an iconic feat that completes their glorious hat-trick for this season! As proud sponsors, e& is absolutely delighted to be associated with this extraordinary team, that we share with the passion for winning. Manchester City's unwavering commitment to excellence, coupled with their dedication, has not only brought unparalleled joy to their loyal fans across the globe, but also set a new standard for football brilliance. Let us celebrate this historic milestone, while eagerly looking forward to the countless achievements that lie ahead for this remarkable club!

#eAnd #ManCity

This year’s United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) week had a lot of discussions about leveraging digital technologies to advance sustainable development. This was the common goal of several forums and bilateral meetings that I attended with our partners from the World Economic Forum (WEF), International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and UNDP Arab States. In these meetings we discussed our engagement in different work streams to overall improve lives and accelerate development, everywhere we operate.

I also had the privilege of speaking at UNDP’s Digital 4 Sustainable Development (D4SD) event, where I shared e&’s sustainability initiatives that will drive a tangible positive impact across our communities.

Today, I am pleased to officially announce the signing of an MoU between e& and UNDP. This collaboration aligns with our commitment to empower societies and drive economic growth advancing our collaboration in three areas focused on action:

1. AI for Sustainable Development (AI4SD): We’re developing an AI-powered Climate & Natural Disaster Crises Platform (CNDC) to better predict, respond to, and mitigate the effects of natural disasters in Arab nations. The platform will equip governments with insights to build long-term resilience.

2. Digital Economy: We’re supporting MSMEs and individuals, with a focus on women entrepreneurs, through digital solutions, including the Erada Microfinance Platform in Egypt (a subsidiary of e& Egypt )

3. Digital Capacity Building: e& Egypt and UNDP are working on extending the reach of the ongoing Knowledge Project (2020-2030), providing free online courses – boosting digital literacy in the nation.

Through this partnership we aim to leverage our services and AI to drive the innovation that is needed by our evolving digital world.

#D4SD #Sustainability #AIForGood #AIInAction #DigitaIInclusion #SDGs