e&
e& is headquartered in Abu Dhabi and includes three regional offices – Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and the Northern Emirates. The Northern Emirates regional center is based in Sharjah and covers the telecom's operations in the emirates of Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Fujairah, and Ras Al Khaimah.[15][16][17]
In the UAE, e& operates where mobile penetration is already among the highest in the world "200%",[18] Etisalat became known for its efforts to roll out its Fibre-To-The-Home (FTTH) network in the UAE. By the end of 2009, Etisalat had completed the FTTH roll-out for 85% of households in Abu Dhabi, positioning the UAE's capital as the first in the world to be covered by fibre.[19]
Some of the Internet services for home users that Etisalat offers include:
e& also operates iZone, a system of Wi-Fi hotspots in central locations, such as shopping malls, restaurants, and sheesha cafes. iZone can be accessed by either purchasing prepaid cards or using an existing account. Dial-up and ISDN Internet access services are billed by the hour, whereas the domestic and residential cable and DSL connections have a fixed monthly rate depending on speed. Etisalat has launched different internet packages for residential customers such as; Elife 10G and 5G, Ultra Fusion, and eLife Family.[23] Other Internet links, aimed at business users, have traffic utilization plans and relatively high rates when exceeding the allocated bandwidth quota. This has caused bad publicity for Etisalat and is a major source of criticism.
In addition to its telecommunication service provider and carrier units, e& incorporates a number of additional non-telecom business units under the umbrella of Etisalat Services Holding LLC. These units support the company's operations and even provide services to other operators and organizations in the UAE, namely: training and consultancy services (Etisalat Academy[24]), SIM/smart card manufacturing and payment solutions (Ebtikar[25]), data clearing house services (EDCH[26]), peering/voice and data transit (Emirates Internet Exchange – EMIX[27]), call center (The Contact Centre[28]), cable TV (eVision[29]), facilities management (EFM),[30]
Etisalat is a major investor in Thuraya (34.5%),[32] a satellite geo-mobile communication systems provider. In 2006 Etisalat started a major restructuring program that resulted in the de-merger of many of its non-core business units operating under the telecom's centralized and direct management; core services were consolidated and streamlined, reflecting the company's shift from a technology-driven telecom to a customer-focused services provider.[33] As part of the program, Etisalat launched a re-branding campaign, releasing a new corporate logo and identity in May 2006. The restructuring culminated in the incorporation of Etisalat Services Holding LLC, which as of 2008 oversees the operation of Etisalat's non-telecom business units with huge success stories. On 27 March 2016, Saleh Al Abdooli was appointed the Group CEO, extending his responsibility to international operations.[34] Al Abdooli resigned from the organization for personal reasons in May 2020[35] and Hatem Dowidar was appointed as the interim Group CEO who was later confirmed as the Group CEO on 16 December 2020.[36] Now Masood M. Sharif Mahmood is the New Group Chief Executive Officer, New CIO and Group Chief AI & Data Officer of e& UAE on 1 April 2026.
On 1 June 2013, Etisalat introduced free local and national HD calls across the UAE.[38] Later that week, corporate, private, public, and government sectors in the country were provided with better business IT solutions when Etisalat launched its first cloud service in the UAE.[39]
e&'s telecommunications division in the UAE recently announced a groundbreaking achievement, setting a new world record for the fastest speed on a live 5G network, reaching 30.5 Gbps.[40] This milestone was revealed during a demonstration at the 2024 SAMENA Leaders' Summit, where e& showcased the successful carrier aggregation of high-band and mid-band spectrums (1600 MHz in mm Wave and 300 MHz in C-band), achieving unprecedented network speeds of 30.5 Gbps.[41]
- 3G Mobile Internet access
- 4G Mobile Internet access[10]
- Broadband Internet services (Al Shamil[20] and eLife[21])
- Prepaid and post-paid dialup Internet access
- Cloud gaming services in partnership with Gamestream[22]
