Telecom today is no longer about just making telephone calls or sending SMS's or even accessing the internet. It is about carrying our entire environment with us everywhere. We want to carry our office, our music, our entertainment, our bank, our school, our whole lifestyle with us at all times wherever we are.

With du, whose initial public offering was held on March 4 this year, the UAE has a second telecom, Internet and cable TV services provider, an alternative to long-established Etisalat. du’s CEO, Osman Sultan, who launched the highly successful MobiNil in Egypt in 1998, discusses the evolution of the UAE telecom sector and the impact du is expected to have on the market.

We have very strong partners, who want the company to grow.

Faisal Al Bannai, CEO of Axiom Telecom, says he stumbled across the telecom market by accident in 1997 when he was looking to start a new project. “It was supposed to be a temporary measure,” he recalls. His business acumen has since created 463 retail outlets and points of sale across the region for Axiom Telecom customers and today two out of three mobile phones in the UAE carry the Axiom warranty.

Phenomenal growth
“I think the determination to create something different sets us apart,” he says. “We wanted to actually do something from scratch and achieve something unique.” In 1997 the company had a US$40 million turnover, growing to US$100 million in 2002, US$600 million in 2004 and US$1 billion in 2005.

From having only a small runway in the midst of the desert, Dubai has grown to become the most dominant player in the aviation sector in the Middle East.

Dubai is home to Emirates Airlines, one of the leading international carriers, and is planning a mega project to build one of the world’s biggest airports, budgeted at some US$8 billion. Dubai’s total investments in the aviation sector amount to more than US$82 billion to date.

Dubai’s aviation history dates back to 1937, when the emirate signed an agreement with Great Britain to establish a naval base for Royal Airlines for a monthly leasing cost of 440 Indian rupees, including the wages of security guards.

Emarat is the leading national petroleum brand in the UAE. Established by the UAE government in 1981 to market and distribute petroleum, its mission is to be the best petroleum corporation in the Gulf for customer service, employee commitment and shareholder return.

Emarat’s modern service stations offer much more than just petrol. Its convenience stores have dry cleaning, photo processing, fax and photocopying facilities, and some even offer a 24-hour postal service in conjunction with Empost. Customers can choose from three types of Emarat smart payment cards for better fleet management, and service stations sell a range of high quality automotive products and lubricants. “Making life better.”

Phenomenal growth in Dubai has resulted in a need for improved infrastructure, especially to move people and goods more efficiently around the emirate. Dubai Roads and Transport Authority – better known as RTA – was formed in November 2005 with the mission to provide “safe and smooth transport for all.”

Modern transportation system
According to RTA Board Chairman and Executive Director Mattar Mohammed Al Tayer, “The goals of the RTA are to develop a state-of-the-art, safe, smooth and efriendly transport infrastructure. This would accommodate the ever-expanding population and will aid in the economic development of the country. We aim to ensure an optimal, integrated and balanced transportation system that will meet the needs of all social sectors; integrating land use and transportation plans; developing world class transportation service and safety levels which will exceed user expectations.”

Operating since 1960, Dubai Land Department is responsible for the legal aspects of the sale and purchase of land in the Emirate. Growing along with the pace of progress in Dubai, it has registered more than 50,000 plots. Its services include transfer of ownership, mortgage registration, issuing replacement title deeds and publishing maps.

CEO Sultan Butti Mejren says that the vision of Sheikh Mohammed has created a different market, which is changing all the time. “These large projects are making a new Dubai,” he says. “You would not have seen these projects even five years ago.”

Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) was created in 1997 to handle two key functions: to promote Dubai’s tourism and commerce activities worldwide, and to oversee the strategic planning and development of Dubai’s tourism sector.

DTCM’s Chairman is Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai as well as UAE Vice-President and Prime Minister. Sheikh Mohammed is a strong supporter of Dubai’s tourism industry and aims for tourism to become even more important in the emirate’s economy in the future.