Ooredoo Maldives

Ooredoo Maldives is a mobile telecommunications operator serving the Maldives under the Ooredoo brand. The business was formerly known as Wataniya Maldives and entered the market after receiving a licence in February 2005. It was selected through a competitive bidding process involving four prospective operators. According to the company’s historical account, the successful proposal combined competitive tariffs with substantial investment intended to bring new telecommunications services to the country quickly. The company entered a market that had previously been dominated by Dhiraagu, the Maldives’ first telecommunications company and, for approximately 17 years, the country’s only operator. Ooredoo Maldives became Dhiraagu’s principal and, according to the cited reference material, sole direct mobile-network competitor. Its arrival expanded consumer choice and introduced a second major operator to the Maldivian telecommunications sector. Ooredoo Maldives provides GSM mobile services across the Maldives together with value-added telecommunications offerings. Its network development has been closely associated with successive mobile-technology upgrades. The company describes itself as the first operator in the Maldives to launch 3G and 4G services, and it later demonstrated 5G speeds described in its reference material as the highest then seen in the country. It also introduced a series of enhanced calling and subscriber-identity features: HD Voice through Voice over LTE was announced in April 2019, eSIM services were enabled in June 2019, and Wi-Fi Calling was introduced in December 2019. The operator’s service portfolio is centered on mobile connectivity, but its competitive proposition also includes faster network access, digital connectivity features, and other value-added services designed for a geographically dispersed island market. Network modernization is particularly important in the Maldives, where reliable communications infrastructure supports residents, tourism, businesses, government activity, and inter-island connectivity. Ooredoo Maldives is part of Ooredoo Group, an international telecommunications organization headquartered outside the Maldives with operations across several markets in the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia. The Maldivian business operates as the group’s local telecommunications presence and uses the Ooredoo identity in its consumer-facing activities. The company has also used sports sponsorship to strengthen local visibility: on 20 September 2021, it was announced as the title sponsor of the 2021 South Asian Football Federation Championship. The available reference material identifies Khalid Al-Hamadi as chief executive officer and managing director from February 2022, as well as a non-independent executive director. No reliable current ownership percentage, listing information, headquarters address, revenue figure, or standalone customer total is provided in the supplied sources. Ooredoo Maldives remains an active mobile operator in the Maldivian market.

Ooredoo Maldives entered the Maldivian telecommunications market after being granted a licence as a new mobile operator in February 2005. The licence followed a bidding process involving three other companies. Although the bidders offered competitive tariff proposals, the successful proposal was distinguished by planned investment intended to deliver new services rapidly. The business was formerly known as Wataniya Maldives and subsequently operated under the Ooredoo identity as part of Ooredoo Group. The company’s launch altered the structure of the Maldivian mobile market. Dhiraagu, the country’s first telecommunications company, had operated as the only operator for roughly 17 years. Ooredoo Maldives became its direct mobile-network competitor, giving subscribers an alternative provider and contributing to the expansion of mobile communications in the islands. Ooredoo Maldives initially focused on GSM mobile services and related value-added offerings. It later built its market identity around network modernization. The company is described in the supplied reference material as the first operator in the Maldives to launch 3G and 4G networks. It subsequently demonstrated 5G capability and reported exceptionally high speeds during those demonstrations, continuing its emphasis on being an early adopter of new mobile technologies. In 2019, the operator added several advanced services. HD Voice was announced on 1 April through Voice over LTE technology. eSIM service followed in June, allowing compatible devices to connect without a conventional removable SIM card. In December, Ooredoo Maldives enabled Wi-Fi Calling. Together, these launches broadened the company’s offering beyond basic mobile voice and data and reflected the wider industry transition toward software-enabled subscriber services and IP-based voice communications. The company operates within Ooredoo Group, an international telecommunications group with businesses in markets across the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia. The Maldivian operation is therefore both a local network provider and a national expression of the wider Ooredoo brand. Its service environment is shaped by the Maldives’ dispersed geography and by demand from households, businesses, public institutions, and the tourism economy for dependable mobile and data connectivity. Ooredoo Maldives has also pursued brand-building activity outside its core network launches. On 20 September 2021, it was named title sponsor of the 2021 South Asian Football Federation Championship. The sponsorship connected the operator with a prominent regional sporting event and increased its public visibility in the Maldives and the wider South Asian football context. Khalid Al-Hamadi became chief executive officer and managing director in February 2022 and was identified as a non-independent executive director. The supplied reference material does not provide a complete chronology of earlier executives, detailed financial statements, ownership percentages, or a current corporate headquarters address. On the available evidence, Ooredoo Maldives remains an active mobile telecommunications operator and an important competitor in the Maldivian market.

1. 2022Khalid Al-Hamadi became CEO and managing director

   Khalid Al-Hamadi assumed the chief executive and managing director roles in February 2022.

   Source
2. 2021Named title sponsor of the SAFF Championship

   Ooredoo Maldives became title sponsor of the 2021 South Asian Football Federation Championship.

   Source
3. 2019HD Voice rollout announced

   The company announced HD Voice service using Voice over LTE technology in April 2019.

   Source
4. 2019eSIM service enabled

   Ooredoo Maldives enabled eSIM services in June 2019.

   Source
5. 2019Wi-Fi Calling introduced

   The operator enabled Wi-Fi Calling in December 2019.

   Source
6. 2005Licence granted for a second mobile operator

   Ooredoo Maldives, then known as Wataniya Maldives, received a licence in February 2005 after a competitive bidding process to become a new mobile operator in the Maldives.

   Source

A technology-forward mobile operator focused on expanding high-speed connectivity and advanced mobile services across the Maldives, while competing with the incumbent operator Dhiraagu.

• GSM mobile servicesMobile telecommunications2005

  Ooredoo Maldives provides mobile voice and related GSM services across the Maldives. These services form the foundation of the operator’s consumer and business offering and are supplemented by mobile data, messaging, and other value-added services.

• 3G and 4G mobile networksMobile broadband

  The operator developed successive generations of mobile data infrastructure and is described as the first Maldivian operator to launch 3G and 4G networks. These networks support mobile internet access and higher-capacity data use across the island nation.

• 5G services and demonstrationsAdvanced mobile connectivity

  Ooredoo Maldives has continued its network-technology strategy through 5G demonstrations and reported very high speeds. The supplied material does not establish a specific nationwide commercial launch date or the full current availability of 5G.

• HD VoiceVoice telecommunications2019

  Announced in April 2019, HD Voice uses Voice over LTE to provide enhanced voice quality on compatible devices and network connections.

• eSIMSubscriber connectivity2019

  Enabled in June 2019, eSIM allows compatible devices to use a digitally provisioned subscriber identity instead of relying exclusively on a removable physical SIM card.

• Wi-Fi CallingVoice telecommunications2019

  Introduced in December 2019, Wi-Fi Calling enables supported calls to be carried over Wi-Fi connectivity rather than relying solely on the conventional mobile radio connection.

• 20212021 SAFF Championship title sponsorship

  Maldives · South Asia

  Ooredoo Maldives was named title sponsor of the 2021 South Asian Football Federation Championship, associating the brand with a major regional football competition.

  Outcome. The sponsorship increased the brand’s visibility through a high-profile regional sporting event; the supplied sources do not quantify commercial results.

  Source

• 2021Sponsor the 2021 SAFF ChampionshipOther

  The company sought prominent brand visibility in the Maldives and the wider South Asian region.

  What changed. Ooredoo Maldives accepted title-sponsorship naming rights for the 2021 South Asian Football Federation Championship.

  Aftermath. The brand was attached to a major regional football tournament; no financial or audience outcome is provided in the reference material.

  Source
• 2019Introduce HD Voice, eSIM, and Wi-Fi CallingProduct launch

  Mobile users were increasingly adopting IP-based voice services and digitally provisioned connectivity features.

  What changed. Ooredoo Maldives announced HD Voice through VoLTE in April, enabled eSIM in June, and introduced Wi-Fi Calling in December 2019.

  Aftermath. The operator expanded its advanced-service portfolio beyond conventional mobile voice and data offerings.

  Source
• 2005Enter the Maldivian market as a second mobile operatorStrategy

  The Maldives had been served by a single operator for approximately 17 years before the licensing process for a new competitor.

  What changed. The business secured a new mobile-operator licence after a competitive bid and planned significant investment to bring services to market quickly.

  Aftermath. Ooredoo Maldives became the principal mobile competitor to Dhiraagu and expanded consumer choice in the Maldivian telecommunications market.

  Source

• 2022Khalid Al-Hamadi appointed CEO and managing director

  Khalid Al-Hamadi assumed the roles of chief executive officer and managing director of Ooredoo Maldives in February 2022 and also served as a non-independent executive director.

  Leadership change
  Source
• 2021Ooredoo Maldives announced as title sponsor of the 2021 SAFF Championship

  Ooredoo Maldives became the title sponsor of the 2021 South Asian Football Federation Championship, linking the telecommunications brand with a major regional football tournament.

  Campaign
  Source
• 2019Ooredoo Maldives announced HD Voice rollout

  The operator announced the rollout of HD Voice in the Maldives using Voice over LTE technology.

  Product launch
  Source
• 2019Ooredoo Maldives enabled eSIM services

  Ooredoo Maldives introduced eSIM capability in June 2019, adding a digital alternative to a physical subscriber identity module.

  Product launch
  Source
• 2019Ooredoo Maldives introduced Wi-Fi Calling

  The operator enabled Wi-Fi Calling in December 2019, expanding the ways subscribers could place calls over supported connectivity.

  Product launch
  Source

1. Ooredoo Maldives