Etisalat and Nokia collaborate to boost advanced Mobile Internet based services in the UAE

Working together to provide convenient payment options for accessing OVI Maps and N-Gage Mobile Gaming services

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates and Espoo, Finland - As part of their plans to further boost the adoption of advanced Mobile Internet services in the Middle East, Etisalat and Nokia announced a joint collaboration to provide convenient access to advanced mobile Internet based services. These services include maps, navigation and games on Nokia devices, based on the Ovi services platform provided by Nokia.

In the first phase of the collaboration, Etisalat’s UAE mobile customers will be able to enjoy Ovi Maps and N-Gage Games on their Nokia devices, through an easy and convenient payment mechanism. Subscribers to Ovi Maps and purchasers of N-Gage games can now choose to combine their payments for these advanced mobile internet based services with their Etisalat account. The payment will be directed to their account automatically, if chosen accordingly, while customers will also have the existing option of paying through their credit cards.

The United Arab Emirates will be the first country in the Middle East and Africa to roll out this service during Q2, 2009, while the cooperation will be extended to other Etisalat operations in the Middle East and Africa in due course.

“Etisalat is delighted to associate with Nokia to promote the next generation mobile Internet services in the Middle East. Etisalat strives to offer the best mobile experience to its customers, while providing them the benefits of convenience, coverage and value. Through this association, Etisalat customers will be able to enjoy advanced services like Mobile gaming and Ovi maps, on Etisalat’s widespread and reliable network, that covers the whole UAE for 2G and 2.5 G and 99% of populated areas for 3.5G networks.” said Essa Al Haddad, Chief Marketing Officer, Etisalat.

“We also look forward to extending this association to all our subsidiaries to boost the adoption of mobile Internet services across the region,” added Al Haddad.

“We are excited to be further promoting our good cooperation with Etisalat. As market leaders, this agreement allows us to combine great services with ease of accessibility to provide consumers with a seamless user experience. Nokia will continue to improve the way people discover and use our services through Ovi, as we continue to add new elements and services. Our focus is on building the best possible experiences and giving our consumers the choice to access them the way they choose,” said Urpo Karjalainen, Senior Vice President, Operator Sales, Nokia.

Ovi allows easy access to Nokia services like maps, navigation, games, messaging and music, as well as the ability to manage, sync and share personal files or information.
Ovi, the consumer brand for Nokia internet services, brings together the online world, the mobile device and computer into an easy to use and consistent consumer experience.

About Etisalat
Etisalat has been the telecommunications service provider in the United Arab Emirates since 1976. Since then, it has built up state-of-the-art telecom infrastructure and taken a leadership position of innovation and reliability among regional and international operators.

Etisalat is one of the largest telecommunications companies in the world and the largest operator in the Arab world headquartered in the UAE (as per FT500 March 31, 2008).

Etisalat operates in 18 countries across Asia, the Middle East and Africa, servicing over 74m customers. It also has Points of Presence (PoP) in New York, London, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Paris and Singapore providing a truly global reach.

In addition to being the UAE’s telecom provider, Etisalat has now expanded to manage and operate telecom companies in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Sudan, Pakistan, Tanzania, Benin, Burkina Faso, Gabon, Niger, Togo, Republic of Central Africa, Ivory Coast, Nigeria , Indonesia iran and Afghanistan. With shares in Sudan’s ’Sudatel’, Inida, Qatar’s Q-Tel and Thuraya, the satellite telephone service provider, Etisalat is a key regional player that lends its expertise and resources towards the betterment of information and communication technology.
Visit Etisalat at www.etisalat.ae

About Nokia
Nokia is the world’s number one manufacturer of mobile devices by market share and a leader in the converging Internet and communications industries. We make a wide range of devices for all major consumer segments and offer Internet services that enable people to experience music, maps, media, messaging and games. We also provide comprehensive digital map information through NAVTEQ and equipment, solutions and services for communications networks through Nokia Siemens Networks.