Etisalat Afghanistan is a 100% owned subsidiary of Etisalat UAE. Etisalat is one of the largest telecommunications companies in the world and the leading operator in the Middle East and Africa, headquartered in the UAE.
Etisalat Afghanistan started its operations in Afghanistan in August 2007. The company is the fastest-growing mobile phone company in Afghanistan. Etisalat is providing voice and data services in 34 provinces and more than 200 districts supported by more than 12,000 retail outlets. In addition, Etisalat has 3G coverage in 21 provinces of Afghanistan.
We are a United Arab Emirates' company, motivated by the wisdom of our leaders in the UAE in supporting the rebuilding of Afghanistan. This is a guiding principle for us as to how we operate here. We believe in creating opportunities for all and sharing with others what Allah has blessed us with—sharing our prosperity around the world by creating economic opportunities in emerging markets like Afghanistan. Etisalat's arrival here is part of the UAE promise of a long-term partnership to work together with Afghans to transform this magnificent country into a modern, peaceful, and prosperous Afghanistan.
It is pertinent to mention here that 90 percent of EA staff comprises of local Afghans. In line with Etisalat Afghanistan's long-standing resolve of partnering in the development and enhancement of human capital and skill levels of local Afghan employees, the company has recently launched Employee Succession Plan with the intention to train and develop Afghan nationals into senior management positions. We have set a target of training over 400 people over the course of this program and expect that it will generate excellent results. The program with the help of Etisalat Academy UAE has already been kicked off for the training of Afghan employees by world-renowned trainers.
Etisalat believes in playing an active role in supporting the community and contribute responsibly towards the social development of the country. Our recent initiatives of supporting the Afghanistan National Cricket Team and developing the sports at the grass-root levels as well as on-going CSR initiatives in the field of health, education and other areas speak volumes about the Etisalat Group's commitment to the people of Afghanistan.
Etisalat Afghanistan is providing unmatched connectivity to its customers through roaming agreements with 231 operators in 116 countries. Etisalat is a beacon of future for Afghanistan, enabling better tomorrow, improving the lives of ordinary people, creating jobs, helping businesses to grow and contributing to the national economy