Emirates Telecommunications Corporation (Etisalat) has announced that its net profits in 2005 climbed 25 per cent to Dh4.3 billion ($1.17 billion) compared with the previous year.

Etisalat also said revenues grew 23 per cent to Dh12.9 billion and earnings per share increased to Dh1.17 from Dh0.94 in 2004.
Mohammad Hassan Omran, chairman and CEO of Etisalat, said the results were motivation for the company to continue providing state-of-the-art services to its customers, who he described as the “driving force” behind its growth and success.
Etisalat has witnessed growth in all major areas. Mobile connections increased by 23 per cent to reach 4.5 million lines.  This represents a penetration rate of 98 per cent, which is comparable to the situation in most advanced countries. Internet connections, including high-speed Internet access, crossed the half-million mark during 2005. SMS messages in 2005 reached almost 1.3 billion.
Meanwhile, Egyptian Minister of Telecommunications Tareq Kamel honoured Omran with an award for his achievements and contributions in the telecommunications field in the region.
The award was presented at ICT Cairo 2006, one of the region’s largest telecom events, held in early February.
Osama Kamal, general manager of Trade Fairs International, the organisers of the event, said Omran had deserved the accolade as he had an outstanding career and made a lasting impression in regional telecommunications. Responding, Omran said the award was in fact an honour to Etisalat.