Rank 02 ( Rank in 2023 , 01 ) Hatem Dowidar – CEO of e & ( formerly Etisalat Group ) e & marked another exceptional year in 2023 , operating with pace and decisiveness that reflects the telco ’ s strategic confidence under Dowidar ’ s tenure . Among a series of equity developments , the UAE telco increased its shareholding in the UK ’ s Vodafone Group to 14.6 %, with an expressed interest to raise that even further to 20 %. e & now stands as the largest single shareholder in Vodafone .
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Rank 02 ( Rank in 2023 , 01 ) Hatem Dowidar – CEO of e & ( formerly Etisalat Group ) e & marked another exceptional year in 2023 , operating with pace and decisiveness that reflects the telco ’ s strategic confidence under Dowidar ’ s tenure . Among a series of equity developments , the UAE telco increased its shareholding in the UK ’ s Vodafone Group to 14.6 %, with an expressed interest to raise that even further to 20 %. e & now stands as the largest single shareholder in Vodafone .
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In Pakistan , PTCL , in which e & holds a 23.4 % stake , acquired 100 % of Telenor Pakistan , while in the Czech Republic , the UAE telco acquired a majority stake in PPF Telecom , which has operations in Bulgaria , Hungary , Serbia , and Slovakia , with the deal expected to be closed in 2024 .
e & completed a 50.03 % investment in Careem ’ s Everything App , and launched ‘ EASE ’, the world ' s first AI-powered autonomous telecom store . The telco also ventured into the entertainment sector with the launch of STARZON in cooperation with STARZPLAY ( which e & acquired in 2022 ).