The Next 50 Years of etisalat

As etisalat entered its sixth decade, its first major commitment offered a glimpse of just how far the company intends to go in the next 50 years. In October 2026, as the group celebrated its golden jubilee, it announced plans to increase its international connectivity capacity from around 20 terabits per second to more than 500 by 2030.

A twenty-five fold expansion in just four years. The announcement came at an interesting time for the telecommunications industry. With increasing investments in AI, businesses today are racing to secure computing capacity, build data centres and deploy intelligent applications.

Yet the growth of AI also places greater demand on the networks connecting these technologies, particularly as data moves between computing facilities, businesses and countries. This is placing greater importance on reliable, high-performance connectivity, enabling businesses and industries to adopt new technologies, innovate and operate more efficiently.

etisalat has spent 50 years developing precisely these capabilities. From 36,000 fixed lines in 1976, it has grown into a global group serving nearly 255 million subscribers across 38 countries. It has recorded revenues of AED 57.6 billion and a net profit of AED 17.2 billion in the first 9 months this year, reflecting the scale of a business that has expanded considerably beyond its original national mandate.

Now, with a new vision as the world’s leading AI-powered and AI enabling telecom Group, it is building on that experience to drive its next phase of growth.Following its third-quarter financial results, the group has outlined targets that aim to surpass AED 100 billion in annual revenue by 2031.

But beyond the numbers, etisalat wants to move towards a future in which telecommunications networks will be expected to do far more than carry information.

Why connection is back at the centre

Perhaps the most visible decision accompanying etisalat’s new strategy was its move forward under the etisalat name.In 2022, the group reflected its growing presence across telecommunications, technology, digital services and investments.

It marked an important stage in the evolution of a company that had grown far beyond its origins as a national telecom operator.Four years later, the decision to unite the group under the etisalat name reflects the growing importance of connectivity in an economy increasingly shaped by AI.

The name, which means connection in Arabic, carries a renewed significance. As businesses invest in AI, demand is growing for the networks, computing infrastructure and secure digital services needed to support it. For etisalat, these are capabilities developed through decades of investment and international expansion.

The new strategy brings these strengths together across four business engines: telco, AI and business solutions, infrastructure, and fintech. Each represents a different opportunity for growth, with connectivity providing a link between them.

This also means putting AI to work on two fronts: making etisalat’s own networks and operations more efficient, while building the infrastructure and services that businesses and governments will need as AI adoption grows.

Fifty years of staying ahead

While the technologies and opportunities have changed, investing ahead of demand is familiar territory for etisalat. It is an approach that has shaped the company’s growth over five decades.Established in 1976 as Emirtel, when the UAE was just five years old, the company began with the task of developing the telecom infrastructure needed to connect a growing nation.

By 1982, it had introduced the Gulf and Middle East’s first mobile network, well before mobile phones became a common feature of daily life.

Five years later, a submarine cable connecting the UAE to India strengthened the country’s international communications links.In 1995, commercial internet services opened another chapter.

Over the following decades came mobile broadband, fibre networks and successive generations of wireless technology, including 5G.Each development reflected a willingness to invest ahead of demand. Infrastructure was being built for services and customer expectations that would emerge years later.

The same approach shaped etisalat’s international expansion. Beginning with Zanzibar Telecom in 1999, the company extended its operations into markets across the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Europe.

Today, those investments have created an international business with extensive networks, technical expertise and established customer relationships. They also offer an important advantage as industry enters another period of technological change.

The changing economics of connection

The telecommunications industry of 2026 looks considerably different from the one etisalat was navigating just four years earlier. In 2022, when the group marked a significant evolution from its origins, operators worldwide were investing heavily in 5G, expanding their digital services and exploring opportunities beyond conventional mobile and fixed connectivity.

At the time, Ericsson expected global 5G subscriptions to cross one billion by the end of the year. By mid-2026, subscriptions had climbed to nearly 3.3 billion, with 5G carrying approximately half of global mobile data traffic. The rapid adoption of advanced networks reflects the growing dependence of businesses and consumers on digital services.

Yet rising demand has also exposed a longstanding commercial challenge for the industry. Telecommunications operators invest heavily in networks supporting digital growth, while much of the value generated through those networks is captured by technology platforms, applications and service providers.

A 2025 study by the GSMA and consulting firm Kearney found that mobile operators account for 85 per cent of global investment in mobile internet connectivity infrastructure, excluding end-user devices. Their contribution averages approximately US$109 billion annually out of a total US$127 billion. The findings illustrate the scale of investment required to sustain the digital economy.

The report also found that 45 per cent of operators surveyed now regard AI monetisation as a strategic priority. For etisalat, the opportunity comes at a time when its own capabilities have expanded considerably. Its established networks, international presence and growing technology portfolio provide a foundation for participating in a larger share of the digital economy.

From connectivity to computing, etisalat’s latest investments offer an indication of how its strategy is taking shape. In Europe, with etisalat PPF Telecom Group and Serbia’s Office for IT and eGovernment it signed an MoU to explore expanding the country’s national data centre capacity by up to 40 megawatts, supporting its ambition to become a regional hub for sovereign cloud and digital services.

etisalat is also working on providing the networks the capability to connect with digital systems to developing the computing infrastructure on which intelligent applications operate. It is part of a broader portfolio of AI initiatives.

etisalat UAE has introduced agentic AI capabilities into selected business connectivity services, combining established telecom offerings with access to intelligent applications and sovereign computing infrastructure.

The company is also working towards more autonomous network operations, with a roadmap to achieve Level 4 autonomous networks by 2030, combining connectivity with AI capabilities and access to sovereign computing infrastructure.

These developments show how etisalat is building on five decades of investment in connectivity, using its existing strengths to develop new AI services, improve its own operations and support the growing demands of the digital economy.

Building for an AI economy

etisalat’s international connectivity expansion adds another dimension to its plans. The investment is intended to strengthen the infrastructure connecting the UAE with international cloud providers, AI campuses and global digital markets.

The ambition extends to the facilities where much of that intelligence will be processed. The group’s latest plans include adding more than 200 megawatts of data centre capacity by 2031, a sign of how rapidly the infrastructure behind AI is becoming a priority alongside the networks that connect it.

As demand for AI computing grows, the movement of data between locations becomes increasingly important. Organisations may need to connect facilities across borders, access cloud environments and support applications that require reliable, high-performance communications.

For the UAE, such infrastructure contributes to its ambition to become a global centre for advanced technology and AI. For etisalat, it also creates opportunities across its international footprint. The group operates in 38 countries, with markets at different stages of digital development.

Some continue to prioritise connectivity expansion and digital inclusion, while others are investing in cloud services, enterprise technology and advanced computing. This diversity allows etisalat to pursue different opportunities according to local demand, while drawing on capabilities developed across the group.

50 Years of More

The company’s golden jubilee has coincided with a significant new chapter in its development. The group has entered its sixth decade with a new strategy, major infrastructure ambitions and a growing portfolio of AI capabilities.

In 1976, the priority was to build the telecommunications infrastructure that would connect the UAE and support its development. Five decades later, etisalat is investing in the networks, computing platforms and intelligent services needed to support an economy increasingly shaped by AI.

The company’s 50th anniversary provides a natural moment to reflect on the scale of its transformation.The technologies are different, as are the markets and opportunities.

But the experience of anticipating demand, investing in connectivity and developing capabilities ahead of the next wave of growth remains central to the business.

As the company’s vision puts it, “the smarter the world gets, the more it depends on connection.” For etisalat, that belief is now taking shape through investments that could define its next 50 years.