World Economic Forum, Qtel sign pact

In a strong show of support for increased economic development in its key markets, Qtel Group has signed an agreement with the World Economic Forum (WEF) to champion its upcoming regional meeting taking place in Istanbul, Turkey in June of this year. The agreement was signed by Dr. Nasser Marafih, CEO, Qtel Group and witnessed by Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohammed Bin Saud Al-Thani, Chairman of Qtel, and the Deputy Chairman Ali Shareef Al Emadi. The World Economic Forum is an independent international organisation committed to improving the state of the world by engaging business, political, academic, and other leaders of society to shape global, regional, and industry agendas. “We are delighted to welcome such a dynamic company as a Qtel as our newest associate in the telecom industry and regional champion for the World Economic Forum on Europe, Middle East, and North Africa. As the Middle East has become such a dynamic and important region, it is great to have Qtel as a representative of that voice in our telecom community,” said Alan Marcus, Senior Director, Head of Information Technology and Telecommunications, World Economic Forum. “Mobile communication has the power to quickly and irrevocably change peoples’ lives, and we witnessed this important impact it can have in the events of the Arab World in recent months. Through our partnership with WEF on this regional meeting, Qtel Group intends to further demonstrate our support for dialogue, communication and the importance of connecting people and nations,” said Dr. Nasser Marafih, CEO, Qtel Group. Under the terms of the World Economic Forum agreement, Qtel Group will act as an industry associate for telecommunications and regional champion, contributing to the programming of the regional WEF event in Istanbul in such a way as to underscore how critical mobile communication is to the improvement of the lives of those who live and work in the Middle East, North African and Asian markets in which it operates. Mobile communications have enormous potential for connecting people with educational and social development opportunities, and the Qtel Group is working hard to foster these connections. Representatives of Qtel Group will also participate in the Forum’s prestigious annual global forum in Davos, Switzerland. The Qtel Group has taken on increased global prominence in recent years, with a presence in 17 countries and a strong focus on the Middle East, North Africa and Asia. In particular, it has contributed to a number of important CSR and educational initiatives for students and young entrepreneurs.