Doha: Sir Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group of companies, arrived to launch yesterday Virgin Mobile in Qatar in a brand partnership with Qtel.
Virgin Mobile Qatar will be Qatar's first youth-focused mobile offering, delivered by Virgin Mobile, he said.
Virgin Mobile Qatar would offer a prepaid mobile service that combined the coverage and call quality of Qtel's mobile network with the brand experience delivered by Virgin Group.
Sir Richard made his announcement at a special opening ceremony.
The businessman arrived at the head of a V-formation fleet of jetski riders, blazing a trail along the curve of the Corniche, before he landed at the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha.
Sir Richard said: "Virgin Mobile is the fastest-growing and most successful business in Virgin's history, with more than 15 million customers worldwide".
"Virgin Mobile Qatar is an entirely new type of mobile experience, which everybody can start enjoying from today," he said.
"I am proud to have partnered with Qtel to make Virgin Mobile Qatar our first mobile launch in the Middle East, and I would like to invite the people of Qatar to come on in and enjoy the fun. We're open!"
Qtel CEO Dr Nasser Marafih said: "We are pleased and proud to welcome Sir Richard Branson and the Virgin Mobile brand to Qatar. Our alliance will have an important impact here in Qatar, and we see strong potential for development as a multi-country brand franchise partnership across our regional and international footprint".
"For Qtel, this marks another important step forward as we develop our brand strategy and our overall business plan to become one of the top 20 global telecommunications operators by 2020. For the people of Qatar, it adds a fantastic new choice and a whole new communications lifestyle," Marafih said.
Under the plan, local calls will cost 0.55 Qatari riyal per minute for the first five minutes each day, and 0.30 riyal per minute after that.
Mobile internet will cost one riyal per megabyte.
Virgin Mobile Qatar head Ed Jennings said: "Virgin Mobile Qatar is a pioneering kind of mobile service".
"We will be giving customers in Qatar what we know they have been calling for — a simple, honest, easy-to-use mobile experience with unbeatable coverage, great customer service, and a whole load of fun extras," Jennings said.
Yesterday's launch makes Virgin Mobile Qatar the eighth Virgin Mobile branded operation in the world.
