Prime Highlight
- Since 2020, Hatem Dowidar has led e&’s evolution from a telecom provider to a diversified global technology leader focused on innovation and expansion.
- The 2022 rebrand from Etisalat to e& marked a strategic shift, driving growth in AI, fintech, cloud, and digital lifestyle services across 38 countries.
Key Facts
- e& now serves 198 million customers worldwide and boasts a brand value exceeding $20 billion in 2025, the fastest-growing brand globally.
- The company has partnered with tech giants like AWS, Microsoft, and IBM to deliver advanced cloud, AI, and cybersecurity solutions, while investing $6 billion to enhance connectivity in 16 countries.
Background
Under the leadership of Hatem Dowidar, e& has transformed from a telecom provider into a global technology leader. Since becoming Group CEO in 2020, Dowidar has focused on innovation, diversification, and global expansion to keep e& at the front of the digital world.
The company rebranded from Etisalat to e& in 2022, marking a major shift from traditional telecom to a wider tech-driven role. Today, e& operates in 38 countries and serves 198 million customers in areas like AI, fintech, cloud, and entertainment. In 2025, the value of its brand went beyond $20 billion, becoming the brand with the highest rate of growth in the world.
Dowidar says the rebrand helped employees think beyond telecom. Under e& life, the company introduced platforms like evision and STARZ ON, an AI-powered free streaming service. Its fintech arm, e& money, became the UAE’s most-used payment app. The $400 million Careem Super App deal also expanded e&’s digital and lifestyle services across the region.
Through e& enterprise, the company now delivers advanced cloud, AI, and cybersecurity solutions in partnership with AWS, Microsoft, and IBM. It also pledged $6 billion to improve connectivity in 16 countries and took control of PPF Telecom Group to strengthen its global reach.
Dowidar says e&’s growth is guided by four key goals — to enhance connectivity, speed up digitalisation, diversify services, and support sustainability.
“Integrity and innovation are at the heart of everything we do,” Dowidar says. “Our aim is to build a future-ready digital ecosystem that will keep e& strong for generations to come.”
