MUSCAT: Vodafone Oman is celebrating the second anniversary of its operations in the Sultanate of Oman with exceptional results that earned it approximately 10% of the market.
Building on its impressive first year, the digital operator focused on fast-tracking its 5G Next Level network reach, doubling its sites to 1,500 and increasing 5G population coverage by 120% while gaining a 42% growth in its customer base, resulting in a 174% revenue increase.
The company’s pre-paid market share was also on the rise closing at around 11% in 2023. In addition, Vodafone Oman reported 4 million App downloads as well as increasing its sales channels to over 4,000 and its international roaming countries by 66%.
Its dedication to delivering exceptional value was further validated by Vodafone Oman’s leadership of the Net Promoter Score for the second consecutive year. Supporting the company’s forward trajectory was $300 million in long-term financing secured through National Bank of Oman, Oman Arab Bank and Bank Dhofar, which catalysed its ambitious 5G Next Level network roll-out plan.
During the company’s annual performance update, Bader al Zidi, Vodafone Oman CEO, said, “we are extremely proud of the tremendous growth achieved in our journey as the Sultanate of Oman’s first fully digital green-field telecom operator.
Our vision remains unchanged: to digitalise the Omani way of life in a way that empowers individuals and communities to reach their full potential, all the while safeguarding the heritage, culture and the very essence of the Omani character.”
Recognising the important role of technology and integrating it into everyday life, Vodafone Oman has helped drive progress and innovation in the country, enhancing communication and connectivity among people and improving access to education and government services to name but a few.
Vodafone’s 2023 journey was filled with remarkable stories of innovation, creativity and progress. The company was amongst the first in the world to offer post-paid packages that allow for full digital onboarding thanks to eSIM activation in less than two minutes via the My Vodafone App.
It was also the first and only telecommunications provider in the Sultanate to provide 5G services at Muscat International Airport.
Today, Vodafone Oman is considered a pioneer in integrating artificial intelligence and machine learning within its operations having succeeded in automating many of its network monitoring and cybersecurity processes.
Ensuring its impact goes beyond the telecom sector it was the first telecom company in Oman to sign a long-term partnership with Al Seeb club as the ‘Official Sponsor’ of its first football team.
The company’s socio-economic agenda focused on two main areas. First, fostering a new-generation of Vodafone leaders through its unique International Talent Programme which saw more than 20 employees travel to Vodafone markets including UK, Turkiye, Portugal, Spain, Ireland and Luxembourg, gaining first-hand knowledge from leaders in the field.
Secondly, Vodafone’s efforts were directed to building its local partner capabilities and identifying new opportunities of growth together. In addition, the company remained committed to maximise its economic spend in Oman. As a result, its in-country value amounted to RO 66 million in 2023, including large-scale partnerships and short-term projects and contracts awarded to local businesses and SMEs.
Al Zidi went on to add, “Steadfast on delivering our promise for Oman, we continued to evolve as a leading tech-teleco, confidently achieving our objectives, overcoming challenges, and receiving wholehearted support from our partners, communities and customers.
Our achievements were recognised locally, regionally and globally as we received over 17 awards and accolades. Most notably were our recent recognitions with Opensignal, where we dominated the Mobile Network Experience Report claiming 11 of the 14 categories.”
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