Qtel Group has announced that all of its operating companies in emerging markets across MENA and South-East Asia will now adopt the brand Ooredoo.
These companies, in which Ooredoo already has a controlling interest, include brands such as Qtel in Qatar, Indosat in Indonesia, Wataniya in Kuwait, Nawras in Oman, Tunisiana in Tunisia, and Nedjma in Algeria.
The announcement was made by Ooredoo Chairman His Excellency Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohammed Bin Saud Al-Thani at a special launch event at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
During the event, Ooredoo announced football star Lionel Messi as its global brand ambassador and agreed to support the Leo Messi Foundation as part of the company’s continued commitment to making a difference in communities across the world.
“With Ooredoo we have chosen an Arabic word that means “I want” to reflect the aspirations of our customers and our core belief that we can enrich people’s lives and stimulate human growth in the communities where we operate,” said H.E. Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohammed Bin Saud Al-Thani.
“We believe that young people should be given the life chances that mobile technology can provide, that under-served communities should be able to access the Internet; that every woman should have an equal opportunity to use a mobile phone, and that entrepreneurs and small businesses should be able to receive business services tailored to their needs. Our new brand reflects these beliefs.”
Ooredoo has experienced significant growth over the last six years, transforming from a single market operator in Qatar to an international communications company with a global customer base of more than 89.2 million people (as of 30 September 2012) and consolidated revenues of $6.8 billion for the first nine months of fiscal year 2012.
Delivering mobile, fixed, broadband internet and corporate managed services tailored to the needs of consumers and businesses in emerging markets, Ooredoo has been the fastest-growing telecommunications company in the world by revenue since 2006 and its enterprise value has more than tripled since 2005.
Dr Nasser, Group CEO, Ooredoo, said: “We are very excited to become Ooredoo because the new brand signals our readiness to take the company to the next level. It is our belief that we can better serve our global customers by leveraging the combined resources and assets of a strong, unified global business under one brand. We also believe that rebranding now will help us to maintain our momentum in the face of new realities for the industry, signalling our commitment to become a global force.”
