UAE telcoms service provider Etisalat has had a busy GITEX this year announcing a raft of partnerships during the show.

The telco operator has teamed up with retail giant Virgin Megastore for a promotional campaign which will see Etisalat's products displayed in Virgin's 11 stores in the Middle East.

"We are delighted to announce this partnership with Virgin Megastore," said Essa Al Haddad, chief marketing officer, Etisalat. "Virgin is an ideal partner as they are an acknowledged leader in the field of entertainment and retailing with major presence in the UAE."

Since the launch of its first rival in the UAE earlier this year, Etisalat has undertaken a range of customer-service initiatives aimed at retaining customers and maintaining its market position.

Etisalat also announced during the show a strategic partnership with SMART of the Philippines to launch an international money transfer service, a service designed to help expatriates in sending money to their home countries. Money transfer over mobile is part of Etisalat's wider mobile commerce strategy. The operator has already introduced m-commerce solutions such as MobilePay and AutoPay for its customers to pay bills or recharge and renew Etisalat prepaid services. It also plans to introduce mobile payment solutions for parking, ticketing and payment of government fees through mobile phones.

Etisalat also unveiled details of its reward programme through its partnership with Emirates Airlines.