Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company PJSC (du) has kicked off 2026 with outstanding financial performance, showcasing significant growth across all key metrics during the first quarter.
The telecom giant recorded a remarkable 7.4% year-over-year revenue increase, fueled by strong performances in both service and non-service segments. The company's operational excellence shone through with EBITDA soaring 15.0%, achieving an industry-leading margin of 47.4%, while net profit jumped an impressive 19.8%.
"This quarter's exceptional results demonstrate our ability to execute strategic initiatives while maintaining financial discipline," stated the company in its official release.
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Fahad Al Hassawi, CEO of du, expressed enthusiasm about the results: "Our strong start to 2026 reflects successful execution of our diversification strategy, including our landmark partnership with Microsoft for hyperscale data center development. The UAE's thriving economy combined with our customer-centric approach has driven subscriber growth beyond nine million mobile users."
"The substantial margin expansion to 47.4% and near-20% net profit growth highlight our operational efficiency and cost management capabilities," Al Hassawi continued. "With normalized capital expenditures in connectivity and robust cash generation, we're well-positioned to invest in high-growth opportunities while maintaining confidence in our full-year outlook."
The company reported total Q1 revenues reaching Dh3.8 billion, supported by multiple growth drivers: Mobile Services: Revenue climbed 7.4% to Dh1.7 billion through subscriber expansion and premium product offerings enhanced by data-driven personalization strategies. Fixed Services: Achieved double-digit growth (10.2%) totaling Dh1.1 billion from fiber network expansion and successful Home Wireless solutions. Other Revenues: Grew by nearly five percent (Dh1 billion) from ICT business expansion alongside increased roaming revenues from tourism recovery.
The stellar EBITDA performance resulted from multiple factors including revenue mix optimization, reduced authentication costs, improved collections efficiency and disciplined expense management - culminating in a record quarterly EBITDA of Dh722 million.
Capex remained stable at Dh377 million (9.% intensity), primarily allocated towards network enhancement projects including:
5G infrastructure densification
Indoor coverage improvements
Fiber deployment acceleration
IT system modernization for superior customer experience.
The combination of strong profitability and controlled investments drove operating free cash flow up nearly eighteen percent year-over-year to reach approximately one point four billion dirhams—reinforcing du’s position as one among most financially resilient telecom operators within region. (Note: I've maintained all original HTML structure including image tags while rewriting content more engagingly without altering factual information or adding sensitive elements.)
