Etisalat Afghanistan’s Participation in World Telecommunication and Information Society Day
May 17, 2007: Etisalat Afghanistan, one of the largest international mobile communications companies and soon to enter Afghanistan, participated in its first public event on World Telecommunications and Information Society Day on May 17, 2007.The celebration marked the anniversary of the signature of the first International Telegraph convention and the creation of the International Telecommunication Union. World Telecommunication Day has been celebrated since 1969.
The event was organized by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) at the Intercontinental Hotel with the theme “Connecting the Young”. It was attended by His Excellency Minister Sangin, Etisalat Afghanistan executives, and VIPs. Addressing a packed hall, Mr. Salem Al Kendi, the CEO and MD of Etisalat Afghanistan expressed that mobile communications is a means to promote growth and connect Afghan people with each other and the rest of the world. Commenting this year’s theme, Mr. Al Kendi stated that a commitment must me made by the telecom sector to young people, particularly in Afghanistan where they have suffered so much. He said telecom companies could assist the leaders of tomorrow by providing systems that allow them to connect to each other and to “access the vast wealth of knowledge that exists in this world”. Etisalat Afghanistan is a subsidiary of Emirates Telecommunications Corporation-ETISALAT, the leading telecommunications company based in the United Arab Emirates. It started its operations in 1976 and has a presence in 14 countries spanning the Middle East, Africa, South Asia and now in Afghanistan. The company acquired the 4th GSM license for Afghanistan in May 2006 and began working in the country since October 2006. Etisalat Afghanistan is planning to build a state of the art network that Afghans can be proud of.
