Ooredoo QSC (; formerly Qtel) is a Qatari multinational telecommunications company headquartered in Doha. Ooredoo provides mobile, wireless, wire line, and content services with market share in domestic and international telecommunication markets, and in business (corporations and individuals) and residential markets.
Ooredoo was the first operator globally to launch commercial 5G services in Qatar and is one of the world's largest mobile telecommunications companies, with over 121 million customers worldwide as of 2021.
Ooredoo operates in ten countries and territories across the Middle East, North Africa, and Southeast Asia: Algeria, Indonesia, Iraq, Kuwait, Myanmar, Maldives, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, and Tunisia.
Ooredoo's shares are listed on the Qatar Stock Exchange and the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange.
History
Ooredoo was founded in Doha in 1987, initially as a telephone exchange company. It has since become the largest communications operator in Qatar offering new technologies to the country including mobile, broadband, digital, and fibre services. The publicly-traded company has ownership from the royal family with H.E. Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohammed Bin Saud Al Thani as the company's chairman and Sheikh Saud bin Nasser Al Thani as Ooredoo Group CEO. Waleed Al-Sayed is Ooredoo Group's deputy CEO and Ooredoo Qatar's CEO.
Qtel Group and all its operating companies worldwide were officially unified under Ooredoo Group in February 2013, as part of the company's strategy to combine its assets in order to form a global business within the telecommunications industry. The name Ooredoo is Arabic for "I Want", chosen "to reflect the aspirations of Ooredoo customers and the core belief that Ooredoo can enrich people's lives and stimulate human growth in the communities where it operates".
Ooredoo has experienced significant growth over the last six years, transforming from a single market operator in Qatar to an international communications company with a global customer base of more than 114 million customers worldwide (as of September 2015) and consolidated revenues of QAR 24.2 billion for the first nine months of fiscal year 2015.
In 2010 the company upgraded its 3G network in the country and launched its Mobile Money service. By 2012, its network grew with its fibre network that provided services with download speeds of up to 100 Mbit/s, HDTV, and its initial phase of its 4G LTE mobile broadband service. The company's consumer base has grown significantly in recent times, from 1.9 million subscribers in 2008 to 2.5 million in 2012 within Qatar. Its annual revenues increased by QAR 3.5 billion from 2012 to 2013 in a single quarter.
As of 2013, the company unified under Ooredoo Group.
Current standing
Ooredoo became the first operator in the world to launch a live 5G network in May 2018. Ooredoo had been gearing up to test this new technology since 2014. As of now, the 5G network has been commercially launched in Qatar and Kuwait.
In the 2010s, the company developed a strong partnership with Nokia in Qatar. In May 2016, the firm expanded this partnership with Nokia in a three-year deal to develop a nationwide mobile network in Qatar. The firm has also broadened its reach with its operations on over 16 countries across the Persian Gulf, Middle East, North Africa, and Asia regions.
The firm has since experienced significant growth with QAR 24.2 billion in revenues in the first three quarters of 2015, and over 17,000 employees.
Ownership
According to Ooredoo's 2016 disclosures, 68% of the company is owned by Qatar government-related entities, 10% by ADIA (UAE), and the remaining 22% is on the public market.
Operating companies
Middle East
Ooredoo Qatar
Qtel was formally established under Law No. 13 of 1987.
In 2006, Qtel launched 3G services and announced a series of initiatives, including an equity partnership with AT&T in NavLink, international high- speed mobile data (GPRS) roaming services and the launch of IP (Internet Protocol) and telephony services.
In 2010, Qtel launched its Mobile Money service and upgraded its 3G network.
In 2012, Qtel continued its roll-out of the nationwide Qtel Fibre network, offering packages with download speeds of up to 300 Mbit/s and HDTV + ooredoo TV . Qtel also began the trial phase of its 4G LTE mobile broadband service.
In February 2013, Qtel officially rebranded as Ooredoo.