Etisalat’s 2008 dividends reach 60 per cent

Etisalat’s strong operational performance in 2008 has prompted the board to recommend a 35 per cent dividend to its shareholders, in addition to the 25 per cent issued earlier last year, bringing the total to 60 per cent for the full year in 2008.

Etisalat shareholders are benefiting from the company’s exceptional operational performance in 2008, with net profit of AED8.665 billion

The UAE company’s net revenues reached AED26.1 billion (US$7.1 billion), up 22 per cent from 2007, with net profit of AED8.665 billion, 19 per cent more than the same period a year earlier.

At the end of 2008, the operator reported a UAE subscriber base consisting of 7.3 million mobile users, 1.36 million fixed-line customers, and 1.153 million Internet subscribers. It is also present in 18 markets across the Middle East, Africa and Asia, with Iran and India the most recent additions to its overseas portfolio.