Nasser bin Obood, the acting chief executive of Etisalat, and Osman Sultan, the chief executive of du. Andrew Henderson / The National
Nasser bin Obood, the acting chief executive of Etisalat, and Osman Sultan, the chief executive of du. Andrew Henderson / The National

Etisalat ready for Dh3bn investment



plans to spend up to Dh3 billion a year on infrastructure in the UAE, including the roll-out of a fourth-generation mobile network to carry video.

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Capital expenditure on its UAE networks will be between Dh2bn (US$544.5 million) and Dh3bn a year, said Nasser bin Obood, the acting chief executive of Etisalat.

The spending would be focused on mobile networks, data cabling and IT systems, he said.

The operator's 4G mobile network would be launched "very soon", starting "with the main cities, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Sharjah," Mr bin Obood said.

, the chief executive of Etisalat's rival du, said that his company was also looking to launch 4G services.

"Our trials have been completed. But there's no date to be announced now," Mr Sultan said. "Hopefully this year, but it's not a firm commitment."

Mr Sultan declined to specify du's planned infrastructure investment this year. Both executives were speaking on the sidelines of the Abu Dhabi Telecoms CEO Summit.

Philip Brazeau, who heads the telecommunications practice at the Middle East law firm Al Tamimi, said Etisalat's investment in a 4G network would improve services such as mobile video.

"The telcos which will be the most successful in the long term are those that are going to invest," he said. "To see Etisalat making that investment indicates that they're building for the future requirements of the community.

"4G is your iPhone-like device with video capabilities, with the ability to do much what your computer does today."

Mr Brazeau said the value of Etisalat's planned investment was "pointing in the right direction". However, he added that "it's not going to be the end of their investment".

Irfan Ellam, a telecoms analyst with Al Mal Capital, said the planned investment was in line with his projections, into which he had factored Dh2.26bn of capital expenditure this year.

He added that Etisalat's total capital expenditure, including in its operations outside the UAE, was forecast to approach Dh20bn over the next five years. "I am projecting Dh19.45bn for the next five years, with Dh4.6bn in 2011 and Dh3.9bn in 2012," he said.

Jorg Erlemeier, the Middle East head of Nokia Siemens Networks, which has worked with Etisalat, said increased demand for data capacity made such investments necessary.

"Lifestyles in today's world demand huge volumes of bandwidth as there is a desire to be connected anywhere and any time," he said. "In the near future, operators need to ensure the best broadband experience, and this can be achieved through investment, primarily in 3G and 4G.

This is excellent news for mobile customers and the UAE in general," Mr Erlemeier said.

News of the planned investment comes as Etisalat and du prepare to face a new era of competition.

Under a government ruling, the two operators will soon start sharing the fixed-line infrastructure, which will mean they compete to provide landline and broadband services across the UAE. Mr bin Obood said this would "most probably" be implemented by the end of this year.

"It is going fine. Testing is going on," he said.

"We are placing all our plans on the infrastructure-sharing agreement, when it comes to the wired infrastructure, going nationwide," Mr Sultan said. "We will pay to access this infrastructure, which will be invested by Etisalat"

Further competition could be coming. At present, only Etisalat and du provide mobile phone services in the UAE.

But Majed al Mesmar, the deputy director general of the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, said that the Government may consider granting more licences.

"Our commitment to the World Trade Organisation is to consider liberalising the market by 2015," Mr al Mesmar said.

KINGDOM%20OF%20THE%20PLANET%20OF%20THE%20APES
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Wes%20Ball%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Owen%20Teague%2C%20Freya%20Allen%2C%20Kevin%20Durand%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
Director: Venkat Prabhu
Rating: 2/5
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE

When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.

The Vines - In Miracle Land
Two stars

The Perfect Couple

Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor

Creator: Jenna Lamia

Rating: 3/5

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Liverpool’s fixtures until end of 2019

Saturday, November 30, Brighton (h)

Wednesday, December 4, Everton (h)

Saturday, December 7, Bournemouth (a)

Tuesday, December 10, Salzburg (a) CL

Saturday, December 14, Watford (h)

Tuesday, December 17, Aston Villa (a) League Cup

Wednesday, December 18, Club World Cup in Qatar

Saturday, December 21, Club World Cup in Qatar

Thursday, December 26, Leicester (a)

Sunday, December 29, Wolves (h)

The specs: 2019 Haval H6

Price, base: Dh69,900

Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder

Transmission: Seven-speed automatic

Power: 197hp @ 5,500rpm

Torque: 315Nm @ 2,000rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km

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Company%20Profile
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre 6-cyl turbo

Power: 374hp at 5,500-6,500rpm

Torque: 500Nm from 1,900-5,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 8.5L/100km

Price: from Dh285,000

On sale: from January 2022 

Anghami
Started: December 2011
Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
Based: Beirut and Dubai
Sector: Entertainment
Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital

The%20specs
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Expo details

Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia

The world fair will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.

It is expected to attract 25 million visits

Some 70 per cent visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 167-year history of World Expos.

More than 30,000 volunteers are required for Expo 2020

The site covers a total of 4.38 sqkm, including a 2 sqkm gated area

It is located adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South

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MATCH INFO

Day 1 at Mount Maunganui

England 241-4

Denly 74, Stokes 67 not out, De Grandhomme 2-28

New Zealand 

Yet to bat

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The Penguin

Starring: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz

Creator: Lauren LeFranc

Rating: 4/5

10 tips for entry-level job seekers
  • Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
  • Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
  • Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
  • For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
  • Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
  • Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
  • Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
  • Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
  • Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
  • Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.

Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz

Cultural fiesta

What: The Al Burda Festival
When: November 14 (from 10am)
Where: Warehouse421,  Abu Dhabi
The Al Burda Festival is a celebration of Islamic art and culture, featuring talks, performances and exhibitions. Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, this one-day event opens with a session on the future of Islamic art. With this in mind, it is followed by a number of workshops and “masterclass” sessions in everything from calligraphy and typography to geometry and the origins of Islamic design. There will also be discussions on subjects including ‘Who is the Audience for Islamic Art?’ and ‘New Markets for Islamic Design.’ A live performance from Kuwaiti guitarist Yousif Yaseen should be one of the highlights of the day. 

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Miss Granny

Director: Joyce Bernal

Starring: Sarah Geronimo, James Reid, Xian Lim, Nova Villa

3/5

(Tagalog with Eng/Ar subtitles)

Short-term let permits explained

Homeowners and tenants are allowed to list their properties for rental by registering through the Dubai Tourism website to obtain a permit.

Tenants also require a letter of no objection from their landlord before being allowed to list the property.

There is a cost of Dh1,590 before starting the process, with an additional licence fee of Dh300 per bedroom being rented in your home for the duration of the rental, which ranges from three months to a year.

Anyone hoping to list a property for rental must also provide a copy of their title deeds and Ejari, as well as their Emirates ID.