Amsterdam, Holland and Abu Dhabi, UAE, 12th December 2009: Capacity Magazine has named Etisalat as the leading wholesale service provider in the Middle East at its annual ‘Capacity Awards’ which took place in Amsterdam, Holland. This is the second time in successive events that Etisalat has walked away with the coveted international title.

“I am pleased to announce Etisalat is the winner of Capacity magazine’s ‘Best Middle Eastern wholesale offering’ award for 2009. Etisalat has demonstrated thought leadership in the development and implementation of its wholesale strategy, which continues to put Etisalat at the forefront of telecommunications in the Middle East,” said Matthew Whalley, Editor, Capacity magazine.

2009 saw Etisalat’s Carrier & Wholesale Service group establish a plethora of services for regional ISPs, mobile operators and telecoms companies. These include global transit services for voice, data, MPLSs as well as many value added mobile and internet services. effectively providing outsourciing services for other operators.

“Winning an award of this status is a great achievement – but to do so twice in consecutive years is phenomenal. There is always the danger that when someone names you the best, that your edge may slip, however I am more than delighted that the team is continuing to drive the boundaries ever further forward in their aim to delight our customers,” Ali Amiri, Executive Vice President, Carrier and Wholesale Services at Etisalat said.

2009 also saw the completion of the part-Etisalat funded TEAMS cable project between Kenya and the UAE. This cable will provide much-needed access to broadband connectivity via the Emirates Internet Exchange (EMIX). The TEAMS cable is one of many regional and global infrastructure projects that have been completed because of Etisalat’s participation and leadership.

For further information please visit www.etisalat.ae.