Etisalat Group, a leading telecommunications operator in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, has won the ‘Operator of the Year’ award at the 9th annual TMT Finance & Investment Middle East North Africa (Mena) Awards, held in Dubai, UAE.

The awards were presented at an event held at the Mina A’Salam, Madinat Jumeirah.

Etisalat Group came on top following the judgement of an international panel of experts in the telecommunications industry, said the UAE firm in a statement.

The Operator of the Year is given to the telecom operator that has most demonstrated growth, enhanced market position, and sustained profitability and loyalty in the Mena region from the period 2013-2014.

Specifically, it regards operators that have sustained high growth rates and aggressive competitive positioning while achieving strong profitability, it added.

Daniel Ritz, chief strategy officer of Etisalat Group, who had earlier addressed the main conference on the subject of mergers and acquisitions and investment strategies and Ahmed Bin Ali, group senior vice president corporate communications, accepted the award on behalf of Etisalat Group chief executive officer, Ahmad Julfar.

Speaking on the win, Ritz said: “It is a great honour to receive this very prestigious and very competitive award.”

“We would like to thank first and foremost our customers. A major part of the criteria for this award is customer loyalty, so it is representative of our customers, who have remained loyal to us across our 19 markets,” he said.

“It is also an award for the entire Etisalat family and one which will motivate us all to maintain a high level of excellence,” he added. – TradeArabia News Service