The Qtel Group’s Progress Draws Regional Praise
Nawras reaps benefits from being part of the Qtel Group
Muscat, 29 April 2011 – The Qtel Group’s reputation for innovation and service excellence received another important boost recently, when Dr. Nasser Marafih, Group CEO, was ranked 72 out of the world’s top 500 most powerful Arab nationals in the Arabian Business Power 500.
As a member of the Qtel Group, Nawras has benefitted greatly from Dr. Nasser’s presence on the Board over the last six years during which time he has steered the high level strategy and development of Oman’s customer friendly communications provider.
Dr. Nasser’s success in the Arabian Business Power 500 was the latest in a series of industry awards and recognition for the company’s achievements in recent months.
Among only 21 Qatari nationals on the list, Dr. Nasser Marafih “heads up possibly the most dynamic telecoms firm in the Gulf today,” the report said. He was the highest ranking of all the telecom CEOs named in the list, above regional peers, reflecting the Qtel Group’s increasing industry stature.
In his eight years since taking the helm as CEO of the Qtel Group, Dr. Nasser Marafih has led the company from the position of a solid domestic carrier to a truly international telco player, with presence in 17 countries in the MENA region, the Indian subcontinent, and Southeast Asia supporting more than 74 million customers. In December 2010, Dr. Nasser was appointed to the board of Directors of the GSM Association, which represents the interests of the worldwide mobile communications industry.
To compile the list of the Arabian Business Power 500, a team of researchers collected the initial database of names in 2010. It looks at the influence of Arabs in every sector: from the business world, media, entertainment, sports, science, arts and academia, on a global scale.
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Notes to the Editor:
Nawras:
Omani Qatari Telecommunications Company SAOG was founded and registered in the Sultanate of Oman in December 2004. It launched its service in March 2005 as the second mobile operator in Oman operating under the name “Nawras”. Nawras was awarded the second fixed licence in Oman in 2009, and launched its international gateway in April 2010, its corporate fixed and broadband services in May 2010, and its residential fixed and broadband services in June 2010. Nawras is currently serving more than 2 million mobile customers across the Sultanate. Following a successful IPO, Nawras is listed on the Muscat Stock Market (MSM) under the “nwrs” ticker since 1 November 2010. Nawras is majority owned by the Qtel Group, a leading global telecommunications group, with presence in 17 markets and a customer subscriber base of more than 68 million. Nawras also has a number of significant Omani shareholders which ensures that the company is strongly integrated into the Omani society. Nawras has won a number of awards including Best Employer Asia 2010, Leader in Communications 2010, Customer Service Provider of the Year 2010, and Middle East Mobile Operator of the Year 2007.
About the Qtel Group
The Qtel Group provides a full range of telecommunications services in Qatar and across its presence in 17 countries. Our vision is to be among the top 20 telecommunications companies in the world by 2020 through expansion in both the MENA region and South East Asia.
For further information please contact:
Julie Amann
Press Manager
e-mail: julie.amann@nawras.om
+968 9510 3669
