Price of telephone calls slashed

Dubai: Etisalat has slashed the cost of calls to Lebanon to make life easier for those caught in the war in Lebanon.

The telecommunications company announced yesterday that all calls to Lebanon would be charged at off-peak rates.

Officials at the company said that they want to help people keep in touch with their families and friends.

Scores of Dubai residents have been calling relatives in Lebanon, eager to check whether were safe as bombs rain down on the country.

"Etisalat aims to ease communication between the UAE and Lebanon at this difficult time.

"The corporation is always eager to extend all the support it can and reach out to the community within which it operates," Ahmad Bin Ali, Etisalat's corporate communications manager, told Gulf News.

With the crisis in Lebanon showing no signs of easing, Etisalat officials said that the round-the-clock off-peak rates would apply until further notice.