Etisalat CEO Al Abdooli resigns, Dowidar appointed acting chief
Saleh Al Abdooli resigned as the group's Chief Executive Officer for personal reasons
Abu Dhabi: Etisalat Group announced on Wednesday the resignation of Saleh Al Abdooli as the group's Chief Executive Officer.
In a statement, Etisalat Group cited "personal reasons" for Al Abdooli's resignation, adding that the board of directors had accepted the resignation and appointed Hatem Dowidar as Acting Chief Executive Officer for the Group. Dowidar is currently the CEO International of Etisalat, according to the news agency WAM.
Al Abdooli started his career with Etisalat as an Engineer for Cellular Techniques Planning in 1992, and was appointed as the group chief executive in March 2016.
"Obaid Humaid Al Tayer, Chairman of Etisalat Group, and the members of the board directors thanked Al Abdooli for the efforts he made and the accomplishments achieved for Etisalat Group during his tenure as Group CEO and his 28 years of service to the company," the statement added.
The UAE’s biggest telecom operator, Etisalat recently reported a net profit of Dhs2.2bn for the first quarter, down 2 per cent year-on-year on the back of higher depreciation, increased financing costs and foreign exchange losses.
Consolidated revenues during the period rose 1 per cent to Dhs13.1bn, with the group’s aggregate subscriber base reaching 150 million, representing a 5 per cent year-on-year growth.
Interim Chief Dowidar joined Etisalat Group in September 2015 as chief operating officer and was appointed chief executive officer for international operations in 2016. Prior to this, Dowidar was chairman of Vodafone Egypt and group chief of staff for Vodafone Group. He initially joined Vodafone Egypt in its early start-up operation in 1999 as chief marketing officer. He became the CEO of Vodafone Egypt from 2009 to 2014.