Ooredoo, the Qatar-based telecom major, has passed the milestone of more than one million mobile money customers across its global footprint.

Mobile money enables customers to use their mobile phones to access a comprehensive suite of mobile financial services, the company said.

The service, which Ooredoo Group companies offer in Qatar, Indonesia, and Tunisia, is a low-cost alternative for customers who do not have bank accounts, or do not have easy access to financial services.

Typically, customers can transfer money domestically and internationally, top-up their own pre-paid accounts or those of their friends and family, pay bills, and in some markets receive salary payments, using their mobile phones.

Dr Nasser Marafih, group CEO, Ooredoo, said: “Passing the one million mobile money customer milestone across our footprint is a landmark moment in our company’s history. We’re proud to support underserved communities who lack access to financial services. The strong take-up by our customers demonstrates the demand for easy-to-use, safe, and affordable alternatives to traditional banks across our key markets, and underlines the new and positive role that communication companies can play in empowering individuals.”

In Qatar, Ooredoo Qatar has partnered with QNB and MoneyGram on Ooredoo Mobile Money, which enables customers to send money in 197 countries around the world. Ooredoo Qatar has seen strong take-up by international workers who need to send money home to their friends and family, the statement said.

In Indonesia, Indosat has partnered with QNB Kesawan on the Dompetku service, enabling customers to use their mobile at more than 200 local organisations, including banks and retail chains. Indosat is planning to expand the programme by offering debit cards linked to Dompetkuso that customers without bank accounts can withdraw money from ATMs.

In Tunisia, Tunisiana Ooredoo and Tunisian Mail (La Poste Tunisienne) have partnered on mobiflouss, which enables customers to top-up their airtime account, transfer money and pay bills via their mobile.  Through mobiflouss, Tunisiana also launched the first mobile G2P (Government-to-Person) service in the region, allowing Tunisian students to receive scholarships awarded by the Government directly into their mobile wallet.
Myanmar, where Ooredoo recently won a mobile network licence, will be a key area of focus for implementing mobile money solutions in the near future, it said.

Dr Marafih said: “We are only scratching the surface of the life-enhancing possibilities for mobile money. In the near future, our customers will be able to use mobile money throughout their daily lives, for everything from micro-loans to paying at shops and receiving their salaries. As we transform our operations throughout 2013 and 2014, we will take our expertise to launch innovative and localised mobile money solutions across our footprint – with a strong focus on empowering under-banked communities in markets like Myanmar.” – TradeArabia News Service