Etisalat announced today that it is Etihad Airways' official telecom partner, providing the best-in-class mobile and digital solutions for the evolving business requirements of the small and medium business (SMB) and startup community, and enabling them through their digital transformation journey.

Esam Mahmoud, Senior Vice President, SMB, Etisalat, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Fatma Al Mehairi, Vice President of UAE Sales at Etihad Airways, in a ceremony attended by senior officials from both companies.

Under the terms of the partnership, both entities will work on providing customised value propositions for Etisalat and Etihad business customers. Etisalat will provide all its business customers and Hello Business Hub start up community with 'value for money' exclusive Etihad travel offers, while Etisalat will provide Etihad business customers access to special mobile and digital offerings.

Esam Mahmoud, Senior Vice President, SMB, Etisalat, said: "The SMB sector plays a key role in the UAE economy in driving innovation, job creation and disruptive business models. Etisalat has been working closely with start-ups and the SMB community to cater to their requirements and help them grow their business by ensuring a successful digital journey.

"This partnership with Etihad is integral to our successful journey for enabling best-in-class solutions and services with industry leaders. We look forward to collaborating with the UAE's national airline to provide a comprehensive array of telecom and digital products and services that bring tremendous value to each other's customers."

Fatma Al Mehairi, Vice President UAE sales, Etihad Airways, said: "Etihad and Etisalat will cooperate to design special products, offers, and activities that support SMB's to start and grow their business with the latest innovative and convenient solutions. The airline is always exploring new ventures to enhance the customer experience and partnering with a major player in the UAE economy like Etisalat will bring incremental value to both Etihad and Etisalat customers."

Both parties will collaborate to enrich Etisalat's business mobile plans with Etihad's BusinessConnect, a smart loyalty programme for small to medium sized enterprises. Etisalat and Etihad will also look to collaborate on alternative digital channels that mutually enable them to sell their products and services on each other's websites. For instance, Etisalat will have digital presence on Etihad Airways' BusinessConnect website, enabling the airline's customers to purchase telco products from Etisalat, and vice versa.

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