Today's Edition
Yousef Al Arabi (ABU DHABI)
The number of mobile subscriptions in the UAE increased by 4.5% over the past year, reaching 21.1 million by the end of the first half of this year, up from 20.2 million during the same period last year, according to data from the country’s telecom operators.
The data indicates that “e& Emirates” saw a 5.73% annual growth in mobile subscriptions, totalling 12.9 million by the end of June. This accounts for 61.1% of all mobile subscriptions in the UAE. Meanwhile, Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (du) experienced a 2.9% increase, reaching 8.2 million subscribers, representing a 38.9% market share.
The combined mobile revenues for “e& Emirates” and du amounted to Dh8.95 billion in the first six months of this year. “e& Emirates” contributed Dh5.95 billion, while du generated around Dh3 billion.
The “e&” group highlighted that “e& Emirates” continued to perform strongly, driven by the development and diversification of services and capitalising on digital sectors for growth opportunities. The subscriber base grew to 14.6 million customers by the end of the second quarter, marking a 4.7% increase from the previous year.
The mobile subscriber base specifically increased to 12.9 million, bolstered by a 4.8% rise in prepaid and a 7.5% rise in postpaid subscriptions.
This growth was attributed to robust offerings and the world’s fastest 5G networks. The e&life subscriber base also saw a 4.2% increase, reaching 1.2 million, while broadband subscriptions recorded a modest 0.6% growth, totalling 1.4 million.
Mobile revenues increased by 4.8% year-on-year to Dh3 billion in the second quarter, driven by special promotions, higher roaming revenues, and increased demand for product bundles.
