The UAE’s biggest telecoms operator e& has joined forces with the US technology company Microsoft to boost innovation and offer more tech-driven products to customers.
The partnership is aimed at accelerating value creation, innovation and achieving more for the benefit of customers, the entities said in a joint statement on Monday.
“Our partnership with Microsoft is an example of synergy in action,” said e&’s chief executive Hatem Dowidar, who was part of the delegation that signed the deal at Microsoft’s headquarters in Redmond, US.
“e& is combining one of the world’s fastest 5G networks with Microsoft’s cloud, AI [artificial intelligence], edge and data services … addressing a regional market hungry for digital transformation,” Mr Dowidar said.
Formerly known as Etisalat, the company rebranded and changed its identity to e& last month as it aims to transform into a global technology investment conglomerate.
Based in Abu Dhabi, the operator was founded in 1976 and is the UAE's oldest telecoms company. It has operations in 16 countries across the Middle East, Asia and Africa, serving more than 156 million customers.
As part of the agreement, e& and Microsoft will create a long-term strategic collaboration that will enable the Abu Dhabi company to go “beyond the realms of traditional telecommunications to transform the lives of its customers and advance the digitalisation journey of enterprises”, the statement said.
It will also help e& harness the versatility of the Microsoft cloud and partner ecosystem to create new solutions.
The partnership will be structured on three strategic pillars: focusing on business-to-business engagement, reinventing the consumer experience and setting the foundations to power e&’s transformation journey.
“We are confident that this collaboration will continue to support the ever-growing demands of this market and our digital journey of transformation and innovation,” Mr Dowidar said.
In 2019, Microsoft launched its UAE data centres in collaboration with e&.
“e& has made a commitment to continuously innovate, and we are proud of the role Microsoft is playing as part of this journey,” said Judson Althoff, executive vice president and chief commercial officer of Microsoft.
“Our strategic partnership emphasises the role that Microsoft’s trusted cloud plays in our customers’ digital transformation, bringing together the unique capability of networks, hyperscale infrastructure and partner solutions to drive economic growth, sustainability and societal well-being.”
The company reported a 3 per cent rise in 2021 net profit to Dh9.3 billion ($2.5bn) and its sales grew 3 per cent on the year to Dh53.3bn during the period.
The operator is also exploring the development of 6G, the next-generation mobile network that will allow for much faster and more sophisticated technology use.
The Microsoft partnership is the latest in a string of deals e& has forged to boost its portfolio.
Last week, the company made an offer to increase its stake in Saudi telecoms company Etihad Etisalat, better known as Mobily, to 50 per cent. It currently owns a 28 per cent stake in Mobily.
Its entertainment arm, E-Vision, and Abu Dhabi holding company ADQ also signed a deal to acquire a majority stake in video streaming service Starzplay Arabia.
In January, the company completed the acquisition of elGrocer, an online marketplace for groceries that operates across the Emirates.
In October, it signed a binding agreement with Abu Dhabi-based artificial intelligence services provider G42 to create the UAE's largest data centre provider.
In August, Etisalat acquired an additional stake in Maroc Telecom Group, increasing its effective ownership from 48.4 per cent to 53 per cent.
Haircare resolutions 2021
From Beirut and Amman to London and now Dubai, hairstylist George Massoud has seen the same mistakes made by customers all over the world. In the chair or at-home hair care, here are the resolutions he wishes his customers would make for the year ahead.
1. 'I will seek consultation from professionals'
You may know what you want, but are you sure it’s going to suit you? Haircare professionals can tell you what will work best with your skin tone, hair texture and lifestyle.
2. 'I will tell my hairdresser when I’m not happy'
Massoud says it’s better to offer constructive criticism to work on in the future. Your hairdresser will learn, and you may discover how to communicate exactly what you want more effectively the next time.
3. ‘I will treat my hair better out of the chair’
Damage control is a big part of most hairstylists’ work right now, but it can be avoided. Steer clear of over-colouring at home, try and pursue one hair brand at a time and never, ever use a straightener on still drying hair, pleads Massoud.
Visit Abu Dhabi culinary team's top Emirati restaurants in Abu Dhabi
Yadoo’s House Restaurant & Cafe
For the karak and Yoodo's house platter with includes eggs, balaleet, khamir and chebab bread.
Golden Dallah
For the cappuccino, luqaimat and aseeda.
Al Mrzab Restaurant
For the shrimp murabian and Kuwaiti options including Kuwaiti machboos with kebab and spicy sauce.
Al Derwaza
For the fish hubul, regag bread, biryani and special seafood soup.
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
RESULT
RS Leipzig 3
Marcel Sabitzer 10', 21'
Emil Forsberg 87'
Tottenham 0
Mobile phone packages comparison
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'THE WORST THING YOU CAN EAT'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
The Energy Research Centre
Founded 50 years ago as a nuclear research institute, scientists at the centre believed nuclear would be the “solution for everything”.
Although they still do, they discovered in 1955 that the Netherlands had a lot of natural gas. “We still had the idea that, by 2000, it would all be nuclear,” said Harm Jeeninga, director of business and programme development at the centre.
"In the 1990s, we found out about global warming so we focused on energy savings and tackling the greenhouse gas effect.”
The energy centre’s research focuses on biomass, energy efficiency, the environment, wind and solar, as well as energy engineering and socio-economic research.
