Year

in Review

Acquisition of elGrocer

e& completed the acquisition of elGrocer, strengthening its Smiles online marketplace.

Launch of ‘Wio’ digital bank

e& partnered with ADQ, Alpha Dhabi Holding and First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) to launch a new digital banking platform ‘Wio’.

New partnerships

e& signed several new partnerships with Microsoft, Amazon Web Services and Meta to address the growing demand for digitalisation in different industries and to accelerate value creation and regional innovation.

Investment in Vodafone

e& acquired a 9.8% equity stake in Vodafone Group, later increased to 14%*, in line with the Group’s ambition to enhance and develop its international exposure.

Global lead in Fibre to the Home (FTTH) penetration**

With e&‘s continuous investment in fibre infrastructure, UAE ranked number one for the highest FTTH penetration, maintaining its position for the past seven years.

Rebranding of UAE and Egypt telcos

Etisalat transformed from a telco brand to become etisalat by e&, aligning it with the Group’s new visual identity and future vision of being a global techco.

Data centre joint venture

e& and G42 created the largest data centre in the Middle East by coming together under the brand ‘Khazna’.

Launch of ‘GoChat Messenger’

The all-in-one free voice and video calling app GoChat Messenger launched in the UAE.

Three-year alliance with DataRobot

e& enterprise launched Enterprise AI as a Service (AlaaS) to support government and private companies in their digital transformation journey.

Rebranding of ‘eWallet’ as ‘e& money’

e& life’s fintech arm was rebranded to e& money, a solution to serve the banked, under-banked and unbanked segments as well as merchants and businesses.

First 6GHz test in MENA

First trial of the 6GHz spectrum in UAE created history by taking a monumental step for the future of 5G.

Partnership with Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

e& announced a multi-year strategic partnership with Abu Dhabi Motorsports Management, as a founding partner of Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the biggest sporting event in the Middle East.

Partnership with Manchester City Football Club

e& renewed its partnership with Manchester City Football Club, integrating the new brand into the partnership across all relevant branding, content and activations, and becoming presenting partner of the club’s Talented Player Programme in the UAE.

AIG Partnership

e& international partnered with AIG to build innovative digital insurance solutions across markets.

Starzplay Arabia acquisition

evision, along with ADQ, completed the acquisition of 57% of Starzplay Arabia to scale up the entertainment segment of e& life, the Group’s consumer digital vertical.

Smartworld acquisition

e& enterprise completed its acquisition of 100% of Smartworld, to be rebranded as ‘e& enterprise iot and ai’.

e& capital VC fund

e& capital made strategic investments through its $250 million e& capital Venture Capital (VC) fund; in VUZ, a leading immersive social app and funded Lablabee, the world’s first hands-on lab platform for the telco cloud.

Metaverse launch

As part of GITEX Global 2022, e& universe was hosted virtually on Mars, Metaverse Service took visitors through multiple virtual spaces and unique avatars, and etisalat by e&’s virtual retail space was showcased.

‘GoWell’ wellness app

First rewards-based, consumer fitness and wellness platform launched in the UAE.

Commitment to net zero

e& committed to achieving a net zero operation in the UAE by 2030 during its participation at COP27, becoming the first private sector entity in the country to join the UICCA to support the UAE’s net zero strategy.

Enhancing capabilities in cloud management

e& enterprise formed a JV with Bespin Global to offer cloud managed and professional services in the METAP region.