- Provides the telco sector with a long-term framework to lay the foundation for a new phase in which connectivity evolves into intelligence, and digital infrastructure becomes a national platform for innovation and sustainable growth.
The Board of Directors of the UAE’s Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) has announced the renewal of the public telecommunications licenses of Emirates Telecommunications Group Company PJSC (e&) and Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company PJSC (du) for a further 20 years, in accordance with the Federal Decree-Law on the Regulation of the Telecommunications Sector, as amended.
The renewed licences will take effect from August 9, 2026, and remain valid until August 8, 2046, replacing the licences originally issued in 2006. The renewal provides the sector with a long-term regulatory framework that delivers the stability needed to sustain continued investment in digital infrastructure and future technologies.
Over the past two decades, the telecommunications sector has evolved from providing traditional services into a strategic enabler of digital transformation, government services and smart cities. This progress is reflected in the UAE’s standing on the latest international indicators, where the country has ranked first globally in fibre-to-the-home penetration for the tenth consecutive year, reaching 99.7 per cent.
Talal Belhoul, Chairman of TDRA, underlined the significance of the sector to the broader economy. “The infrastructure of the national economy relies on telecommunications networks across all vital sectors, including government services, financial services, healthcare, education, energy, transport, industry and digital commerce,” he said.
“The next phase takes on added importance in light of the Digital Economy Strategy, which aims to double the digital economy’s contribution to GDP from 9.7 per cent in 2022 to 19.4 per cent over the next ten years.”
He added that the sector is expected to undergo a gradual transition from connected networks to intelligent, autonomous networks, “where artificial intelligence becomes an integral part of the intelligence of the network itself.”
Foundation for the next phase
Majed Sultan Al Mesmar, Director-General of TDRA, described the licence renewal as a strategic decision that reflects the UAE’s confidence in a sector proven to be one of the pillars of national development. “Together, TDRA and the licensees have built one of the world’s most advanced and future-ready digital infrastructures,” he noted.
“Today, we are providing the sector with a long-term framework that lays the foundation for a new phase in which connectivity evolves into intelligence, and digital infrastructure becomes a national platform for innovation and sustainable growth.”
Strengthening resilience and security
Mohammed Al Ramsi, Deputy Director-General of the Telecommunications Sector at TDRA, said the new licences reflect the transformation of telecommunications networks into critical national infrastructure.
Under the renewed terms, licensees are required to geographically diversify international connectivity through multiple terrestrial systems and submarine cables, eliminate single points of failure, implement and regularly test disaster recovery mechanisms, and develop qualified national talent capable of operating and restoring networks under exceptional circumstances.
He added that the objective extends beyond developing faster networks to building smarter, more secure and more resilient ones. The licences include enhanced obligations covering network resilience, backup capacity and international connectivity, as well as quality of service, interconnection and access, national roaming, universal service, subscriber protection and the prevention of anti-competitive practices.