THURAYA names new Chairman Mr. Ahmad Abdulkarim Julfar

Thuraya Shareholders elect Mr. Ahmad Abdulkarim Julfar as the Company’s new Chairman and Dr. Daniel Ritz as a new Member of its Board of Directors

As Group CEO of Etisalat, Mr. Julfar brings a wealth of telecommunications, financial, strategic and leadership experience further reinforced by the addition of Dr. Ritz, Group Chief Strategy and M&A Officer of Etisalat

Dubai, November 6^th,2012: Thuraya TelecommunicationsCompany today announced the election of a newChairman and the appointment of a new Member on its Board of Directorsatthemeeting on November 1^st.Mr. Ahmad Abdulkarim Julfar, Chief Executive Officer of Etisalat Group, joins as Thuraya’s new Chairman of the Board.  Also elected to the Board during the meeting was Dr. Daniel Ritz, Group Chief Strategy and M&A Officer of Etisalat.

In addition to his role as Group CEO of Etisalat, Mr. Julfar also serves on the board of Mobilyin the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where he is the Chairman of the Risk Management committee, as well as on the board of Etisalat Misr and Etisalat Services Holding (ESH).

“We are delighted to welcome both Mr. Julfar as our new Chairman and Dr. Ritz as a new Member of our Board,” said Samer Halawi, Chief Executive Officer of Thuraya. “Chairman Julfar’sleadership and wealth of telecoms experience will be invaluable in helping guide Thuraya as we continue to pursue growth in our key markets. We are also pleased to have Dr. Ritz join our Board given his vast experience with strategy and business experience, especially at this time when we are looking at the next phase of development for the company.”

Mr. Ahmad Abdulkarim Julfar is one of the first graduates of the Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Establishment for Young Business Leaders. He holds two degrees in Civil Engineering and Computer Sciences from the Gonzaga University in Washington, USA.

Dr. Daniel Ritz (Ph.D) has served asChief Strategy Officer of the Etisalat Group since February 2012. He reports to the Group CEO and is a member of the Etisalat Group Management Committee. Dr. Ritz is responsible for managing the Group’s strategy, business development, expansion through mergers and acquisitions and strategic project management functions. He is a board member of PTCL of Pakistan, Atlantique Telecom Holding (Ivory Coast) and has previously held senior executive posts at Swisscom. Dr. Ritz attained his Ph.D(magna cum laude) in Business Administration and Information Management from the Hochschule St. Gallen in Switzerland.

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About Thuraya Telecommunications Company (www.thuraya.com)

Thuraya Telecommunications Company is an industry leading MSS operator and a global telecommunication provider offering innovative communications solutions to a variety of sectors including energy, broadcast media, maritime, military and NGO.

Thuraya’s superior network enables clear communications and uninterrupted coverage across two thirds of the globe by satellite and across the whole planet through its unique GSM roaming capabilities. The company’s diverse range of technologically superior and highly reliable mobile satellite handsets and broadband devices provide ease of use, value, quality and efficiency.

Thuraya remains committed to serving humanity through delivering the essential tools for optimal connectivity, never leaving anyone out of reach.

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