FRiENDi GROUP AWARDED BEST MVNO AWARD FOR SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR AT TELECOMS WORLD MIDDLE EAST 2011

Dubai: 5 October 2011 – FRiENDi GROUP, the leading MVNO/MVNE provider in the region is the proud winner of the prestigious Best MVNO award revealed last night at the 5th Annual Telecoms World Middle East Awards dinner ceremony. This is the second consecutive year FRiENDi GROUP has been awarded the honour.

FRiENDi GROUP was the first to introduce the MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) concept in the Middle East, and has now firmly positioned itself as the market leader in the region.

FRiENDi GROUP has mobile operations in Jordan, where it was the first MVNO to launch, Oman where an impressive market share of 4% was achieved within one year of launch, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia where it has made an impressive start. With over 700,000 subscribers enjoying the FRiENDi Mobile service, and with more launches imminent in 2011 and throughout 2012 the FRiENDi GROUP is on track to deliver on the company mission of being the leading SAMEA (South Asia, Middle East & Africa) MVNO player.

FRiENDi GROUP’s philosophy is based on helping customers with a piece of their heart abroad keep in touch with their loved ones internationally and locally, offering great value and service to its valued customer base.

Upon receiving the award, Mikkel Vinter, Founder and CEO of FRiENDi GROUP said ‘We’re honoured and very proud to receive The Telecom World Middle East award for Best MVNO once again. To have our efforts and commitment to the region and our customers recognized means a lot to all of us and encourages us to work harder. We hope to continue bringing our friendly, customer focused and multi-cultural mobile services to customers across the region by offering greater value and the very latest of what technology has to offer. I would like to thank our FRiENDi Mobile valued customers, talented employees and all of our partners for their support in making this possible.”

With 600 MVNOs operating across the world, mobile operators and telecom regulators are increasingly recognizing the fresh impetus and value MVNOs can bring to mobile markets across the region. It is expected that the regional telecommunications industry will be reshaped by a number of MVNO launches in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and several North African markets over the coming years.

About FRiENDi GROUP
Established in 2006, FRiENDi GROUP is an innovative telecommunications group operating as a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) and Mobile Virtual Network Enabler (MVNE) across South Asia, The Middle East and Africa. The MVNO/MVNE model is a proven business model delivering significant benefits to mobile consumers and telecom operator partners.

With operations in Jordan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Oman, FRiENDi GROUP is headquartered in Dubai with a management team that includes senior level team members from a variety of successful regional and global mobile operators as well as MVNOs. FRiENDi GROUP has a strong financial foundation and is supported by well-reputed and highly experienced global and regional shareholders.