Etisalat by e&, a subsidiary of e&, signed a strategic collaboration agreement with Mashreq Egypt, which is the first of its kind in the Egyptian market, which aims to enhance and develop the mobile banking services system and contribute to supporting the state’s directions towards financial inclusion. The agreement was signed in the presence of Eng. Hatem Dowidar, CEO of e&, and Mr. Ahmed Abdelaal, Group Chief Executive Officer of Mashreq, on the sidelines of the 43rd edition of GITEX exhibition held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates during the period from October 16 to 20. This collaboration represents an innovative merger between the telecommunications and banking services sectors, thanks to the continued support of Central Bank of Egypt in supporting this initiative and aims to provide a unique user experience through the My Etisalat app, which allows customers starting from 16 years old, to open an account with Mashreq Egypt without fees and without a minimum deposit, as well as receiving a dual branded card. This will pave the way for more comprehensive banking services in the future such as issuance of credit cards, loans, and booking of CDs & time deposits, all through the e& Neo platform available within the My Etisalat app owned by Etisalat Egypt. Etisalat and Mashreq Egypt seek to provide a distinguished and easy-to-use experience for customers by integrating the various banking services with modern telecommunications services, as collaboration allows customers to access seamless, secure and various banking services directly from their mobile phones, which will facilitate and accelerate financial transactions and increase efficiency. On this occasion, Eng. Hazem Metwally, CEO of Etisalat by e& said: “We are pleased to cooperate with Mashreq Egypt, a leader in the field of innovative banking services, which enables us to provide more distinguished services to our customers and improve their banking and financial experience through mobile phones”. Metwally added, “The collaboration comes within the framework of e&'s vision to transform into a Global technology group, and through this collaboration, our customers will be able for the first time in Egypt to open bank accounts using the “My Etisalat” application, with just a visit to your nearest Etisalat branch, which will make obtaining banking services easier and more comfortable than ever before”. For his part, Amr El Bahey, CEO of Mashreq Egypt, said: “Our partnership with Etisalat by e& marks a significant milestone for us, playing a pivotal role in reshaping Egypt's mobile banking services industry. Innovation has consistently been a cornerstone of Mashreq Egypt's strategy, which is reflected in our continuous commitment to delivering cutting-edge, customer-centric solutions. This reflection is evident in our partnership, where we merge our profound banking knowledge with contemporary communication technology to offer customers an easy, fast, and seamless customer experience. This partnership goes beyond a banking initiative and stands as a pivotal step in our commitment to advancing financial inclusion in Egypt.” Amr El Bahey added: “This joint collaboration will contribute greatly to developing the Egyptian economy and supporting the financial inclusion ecosystem that is led by the Central Bank of Egypt, by enabling more customers to access banking services efficiently and easily through their mobile phones. “