Etisalat Chairman Participates in the Arab Thought Foundation's Eighth Annual Conference in Kuwait
Kuwait City, Kuwait December 8, 2009 – Etisalat's chairman, Mohammad Omran yesterday addressed the eighth Annual Conference organized by the Arab Thought Foundation and presented his company's philosophy on corporate social responsibility.
Mohammad Omran affirmed that Etisalat has managed to establish corporate social responsibility as a fundamental pillar of its strategy. He also highlighted a number of key initiatives which cover the major needs within the operator's 18 markets.
Omran was participating in a special session on Arab Multinationals and Corporate Social Responsibility in the conference which is taking place under the patronage of the Emir of Kuwait, H.H. Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.
Etisalat's chairman shed light on the role Etisalat is playing in supporting education and research. He discussed the unique partnership Etisalat has formed with the UAE ministries of education in providing a dedicated nationwide Research and Education Network (NREN) for universities and broadband access to schools.
He also highlighted the company’s partnerships with its international peers in bringing global innovation centres to the Middle East. In this respect he highlighted the Etisalat-British Telecom Innovation Centre which is now located at the Khalifa University for Science, Technology and Research in Abu Dhabi.
Etisalat is also the Middle East's exclusive distributor of EasyLearning – a low-cost electronic learning programme with over 500 courses. The knowledge from this initiative is supporting people in developing countries to gain a high quality education, and also to sell their skills around the world through participating in online skills marketplaces.
Mohammad Omran also expressed Etisalat's commitment to helping integrate all parts of society through technology. This includes those who have special needs. Etisalat sponsored the activation of a law which supports people with special needs in the UAE and has also launched a discounted bundles of services which provides specialist services such as IBSAR – a software solution which reads text from a screen allowing blind people to use the Internet.
Etisalat is also a leader in terms of promoting sustainability. It is the key sponsor of the UAE's mobile phone and electronic waste recycling campaign Envirofone which has so far collected 151 tonnes of waste. Etisalat is also adopting technologies which consume less energy like its fiber optic network which consumes 70% less electricity than traditional infrastructure and has deployed approximately 160 solar powered facilities in the UAE including pay phones and large base stations.
Etisalat is also active in its regional subsidiary markets and is participating in various community projects. These include the award winning 'Origin' programme in Egypt which seeks to provide potable water for hundreds of thousands of poor Egyptians. In Sudan, Canartel is providing support to reduce the impact malaria and in Pakistan scholarships are provided to aspiring students from local communities.
In conclusion Mr. Omran encouraged all companies to commit to long-term initiatives which will enrich and enhance the communities in which they operate. The financial strengths of a company should a supporting factor to help develop a comprehensive approach to tackling corporate responsibility.
For more information, please visit www.etisalat.ae.