Etisalat eyes restructure to cut costs

"Competition and drop in prices across the region has made it difficult for telecom service providers to maintain revenue levels, especially in emerging markets," it said.

Etisalat has reported falling profits in seven of the past eight quarters as revenues from its foreign units fail to make up for sagging home revenue.

The domestic decline is due to price competition from du and a move among the UAE's mainly expat population to uses Voice over IP services for international calls.

About three-quarters of Etisalat's revenue is derived domestically, according to its third-quarter results, the most recent revenue breakdown the company has disclosed.