Brand Finance, a leading company in the evaluation of commercial and strategic consultations brands, has classified Etisalat as the strongest brand in the sector of telecommunications in the Middle East.

Etisalat was given the title based on several standards. They included the activities of the brand, major international sponsorship projects, local events that target customers—whether individuals or companies—in addition to increasing revenues, which have contributed to improving the value of the brand.

Etisalat’s headquarters is located in the United Arab Emirates. The portfolio of its commercial brand has a strong presence in Egypt, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan. It also has shares in Mobily in Saudi Arabia, Ufone and Pakistan Telecommunication Company in Pakistan, Maroc Telecom in Morocco, and Moov Atlantique Telecom in Côte d’Ivoire.

With the value of its portfolio reaching $7.728bn, the group has outperformed the second brand on the list with a difference of $1.5bn.

Among the main factors contributing to the portfolio’s strength is the group’s credit rating increasing from (AA-) to (AA+) in 2017.

Etisalat was also evaluated based on its programme for international sponsorships, such as its sponsorship for FC Barcelona, in addition to many local events that target individual and company customers.

Brand Finance evaluates thousands of brands annually to classify the best 500 international brands and the strongest 500 brands in the field of telecommunications, in addition to several other market reports Brand Finance carries out on the level of different sectors and geographic areas.