Dubai, United Arab Emirates — UAE telecom operator Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company PJSC (du) grew its net profit by 10.8% year-on-year to approximately $658.4 million (AED 2.42 billion) in the first nine months of 2026, helped by steady demand for connectivity and digital services.
Revenue for the January to September period climbed 6.2% to about $3.36 billion (AED 12.3 billion), according to the company's third-quarter results. Service revenues, a subset of that total, increased 6.8% to approximately $2.46 billion (AED 9.0 billion).
The operator said demand held up and the macroeconomic backdrop became more stable, allowing the business to settle after the disruption it faced earlier in the year.
Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization for the nine months reached about $1.64 billion (AED 6.0 billion), a gain of 9.2%. The EBITDA margin widened by 1.3 percentage points to 48.7%, which du attributed to cost efficiency, operational agility and disciplined execution.
According to du, the profit growth shows its operating model is resilient and can keep delivering profitable growth.
Taken on its own, the July to September quarter brought a 7.1% rise in revenue to approximately $1.13 billion (AED 4.1 billion). Each segment grew, with the largest gain in other revenues.
Quarterly net profit was up 7.3% at about $214 million (AED 786 million), a result du linked to higher EBITDA. Third-quarter EBITDA increased 6.7% to approximately $537.8 million (AED 1.975 billion), and the margin of 47.7% was broadly unchanged from 47.8% a year earlier.
A better revenue mix across the mobile and fixed segments lifted quarterly EBITDA, although higher direct costs worked against it. The company said its focus on cost efficiency and operational discipline helped absorb inflationary pressure tied to the regional situation.
Mobile revenues for the quarter rose 3.9% to about $490.1 million (AED 1.8 billion). du put the increase down to a larger subscriber base and a favorable mix, in line with its strategy of prioritizing high-value propositions that lift average revenue per user (ARPU).
Fixed revenues grew 7.1% to approximately $326.8 million (AED 1.2 billion) on the back of Home Wireless and enterprise connectivity. Other revenues jumped 12.6% to about $299.5 million (AED 1.1 billion), as wholesale, ICT, and handset and accessory sales increased after the iPhone 18 launch.
Capital expenditure for the quarter was approximately $176.2 million (AED 647 million), compared with about $134 million (AED 492 million) in the third quarter of 2025. That took capex intensity to 15.6% from 12.7%, with the extra spending going mainly into data center infrastructure and upgrades to du's network.
Over nine months, capex rose 19.1% to about $458.5 million (AED 1.684 billion). Third-quarter operating free cash flow, which du defines as EBITDA minus capex, slipped 2.3% to approximately $354 million (AED 1.3 billion) because of the heavier investment.
The company said its unleveraged balance sheet and capacity to generate cash give it room to speed up investment in high-growth areas and still pay attractive returns to its shareholders.
On the regulatory side, du's telecom license was renewed during the third quarter for another 20 years, and its royalty regime was extended by three years. The company said both decisions give it long-term regulatory visibility and continuity in its operations.
The quarter also brought index inclusion. After meeting the required criteria, mainly on liquidity, du was added to both the MSCI UAE Standard Index and the FTSE All-World Index.
In the third quarter, du’s mobile customer base expanded 3.3% year-over-year to 9.5 million subscribers. Its postpaid base grew 6.4% to 2.0 million customers, which the company tied to premium consumer and enterprise demand and the iPhone 18 launch, while prepaid added 2.5% to reach 7.4 million on the strength of its easy and alo plans.
Fixed subscribers rose 5.2% to 756,000, driven by home wireless, which du said appeals to consumers who want flexible, convenient and cost-effective connections. The company added that subscriber growth had slowed amid regional headwinds.
Fahad Al Hassawi, CEO of du, said: “Our nine-month results show the resilience of our business and our focus on growing with purpose. Revenue rose 6.2% to AED 12.3 billion, EBITDA grew 9.2% and net profit increased 10.8%, reflecting the strength of our operating model and our disciplined execution during a period of disruption. Our investments in data centres, cloud and advanced connectivity are extending our role beyond traditional connectivity and positioning du at the centre of the UAE’s digital economy.”
The nine-month figures follow du's first-half results in July, when net profit for the six months rose 12.6% to approximately $444.4 million (AED 1.632 billion). The board then approved an interim cash dividend of about $0.07 (AED 0.26) per share, an 8.3% increase on the previous year.
In that July update, du also announced du Ventures, a venture capital fund set up with Shorooq to back early and growth-stage companies working on emerging technologies. The company said at the time that its data center projects were accelerating as it neared the launch of services under its agreement with a global hyperscaler.
