Etisalat appoints former chief executive of Yahsat to head UAE operations

Masood Sharif Mahmood has more than 20 years of experience in telecom and technology sectors

Etisalat has appointed Masood Sharif Mahmood to head the UAE operations. Alia Jeiroudi / The National

Etisalat, the UAE’s biggest telecoms operator, has appointed Masood Sharif Mahmood as chief executive of its operations in the Emirates, as part of the company's transformation strategy.

Mr Mahmood is former chief executive of Mubadala-owned Yahsat.

His appointment will take effect from August 29, Etisalat said in a statement on Monday to the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, where its shares are traded.

“This new role is part of Etisalat Group’s transformation strategy that targets increased focus on diversifying and capturing growth opportunities within the UAE market while accelerating business development in the digital space, expanding geographic presence and maximising operational efficiency in existing markets,” Etisalat said.

Mr Mahmood has 20 years of experience in the telecom and technology sectors.

He served on the Board of Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company, also known as du, for seven years between 2013 and 2020, according to the statement.

Last month, Etisalat reported a slight increase in its second-quarter net profit on the back of higher revenue.

The total net profit attributable to owners of the company for the three-month period ended June 30 climbed to Dh2.39 billion ($650 million) from Dh2.38bn during the same period last year. Revenue jumped 5.7 per cent year-on-year to Dh13.21bn.

Etisalat is exploring the development of 6G, the next generation mobile network that will allow for much faster and more sophisticated technology use.

The telecoms operator is conducting research and developing international standards that will be the main building blocks to create a 6G network, the company said in June.