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UPDATE 2-UAE's du Q3 net profit doubles; beats forecasts

Published 11/08/2010, 02:53 AM
Updated 11/08/2010, 02:56 AM

* Du profit more than doubles, revenue up 31 percent

* Beats forecasts, comes after financing for growth push

* Co sees 30 percent revenue growth by year end - CEO

* Shares down 1 percent

(Adds CEO comments, details, share price)

DUBAI, Nov 8 (Reuters) - UAE telecoms provider du's third quarter profit more than doubled on strong revenue growth, spurred by a jump in mobile and fixed line subscribers.

Du said on Monday it made a net profit of 163.1 million dirhams ($44.4 million) on continued wireless and fixed-line growth, compared with a profit of 78.55 million dirhams a year earlier.

Analysts had expected an average profit of 136.5 million dirhams, and the result beat the highest forecast for 151 million dirhams.

The company, which is the second largest provider of telecoms services in the UAE after Emirates Telecommunications Corp (Etisalat), had a market share of 37 percent at the end of August.

"By the end of the year, our market share will increase by a fraction but it is already significant," said du chief executive Osman Sultan in a conference call with journalists.

"I want to turn to build efficiency ... bringing value to shareholders. We are a growth company, focussing on growth of net profit, (and) of our EBITDA."

Du, partly owned by the ruler of Dubai's investment company Dubai Holding and Abu Dhabi investment vehicle Mubadala Development Co, also reported a 31 percent rise in revenue to 1.744 billion dirhams for the period.

"The company will end up with 30 percent growth in revenues by the end of the year. That's how we see it," Sultan said.

Mobile subscriptions jumped 39 percent in the third quarter, over the same period last year and fixed line subscribers rose 44 percent to 515,400 lines.

Sultan said this latter segment will continue to grow for the company, as the company seeks to expand operations nationally.

In June, du said it raised 1 billion dirhams to fund a growth plan and compete with market leader Etisalat.

The CEO said there are no further plans to raise financing at the moment but the company will evaluate options at the beginning of next year.

Shares in du were trading 1 percent lower at 0725 GMT. ($1=3.672 Uae Dirham) (Reporting by Rachna Uppal; Editing by Jon Loades-carter)

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