WAM ABU DHABI, 3 July 2012: President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan has issued Decree (74) for the year 2012 appointing Eissa Al Suwaidi as Chairman of the Emirates Telecommunications Corporation (the Etisalat Group).

In addition to his new appointment, Eissa Al Suwaidi serves as an executive director at Abu Dhabi Investment council. He is also a Director of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company for Distribution, International Petroleum Investment Company, Abu Dhabi Fund for Development and Emirates Investment Authority. He also serves as the Chairman of Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Economics from Northeastern University, USA.

Al Suwaidi said: "I am honored to have been given the challenge of leading one of the leading telecommunications companies in the region. Etisalat has become a provider of innovative solutions that help transform communities and accelerate economic growth and social development, and I look forward to further establishing Etisalat as the integrated telecommunication company of choice across our markets." Etisalat has been recognized for its innovative contributions to the telecommunications industry with an unprecedented three GSMA Global Mobile Awards at the Mobile World Congress earlier this year for its mHealth and mCommerce initiatives. It is also one of only three Middle East companies to be included in the world's top 500 brands according to Brand Finance with a brand value of US$ 3.117bn.

His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan also decreed the appointment of six new members of the Etisalat board. The new appointees are Abdullah Salem Al Dhaheri, Mubarak Rashid Al Mansouri, Shoaib Mir Hashim Khouri, Abdullah Mohammad Saeed Ghobash, Eissa Abdul Fattah Kazim and Mohammad Hadi Ahmad Abdulla Al Hussaini.

Etisalat is a corporation 60.03%-owned by the Emirates Investment Authority, which is owned by the UAE government, and the Chairman and Government board representatives are directly appointed by President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan by a federal decree.

WAM/MMYS