Etisalat, du to ring in growth

The region’s telecommunications companies are expected to report continued growth in subscribers and revenues in second-quarter results due in the next few weeks.

The sector is viewed by many investors as a safe haven during tough economic times, as the underlying demand for mobile and internet services continues to grow and regional operators boost their presence in high-growth emerging markets.

Etisalat’s profits are expected to show marginal growth compared with adjusted figures from the previous year. But an exceptional gain of almost Dh1 billion (US$272 million) in the second quarter of last year, related to the sale of a stake in its Saudi network, mean overall net profits will appear down year on year.