EL7.AI
StocksMedium•29 October 2026•
3 min read

e& reports AED 11.2 billion third-quarter profit, supported by Vodafone stake sale

Key Facts

1Consolidated net profit reached AED 11.2 billion in the third quarter of 2026, supported by the sale of the Vodafone stake.
2Excluding the exceptional gain, net profit rose 7% to AED 3.2 billion in the third quarter.
3Nine-month EBITDA increased 10.3% to AED 26.7 billion, with a margin of 46.4%.
4The number of e& subscribers in the UAE rose 5.2% to 16.5 million in the third quarter.
5The group aims to exceed international connectivity capacity of 500 terabits per second by 2030, more than 25 times current capacity.

e& Group reported consolidated net profit of AED 11.2 billion in the third quarter of 2026, supported by the sale of its stake in Vodafone Group, Gulf News reported. The reported figure reflects the impact of the transaction alongside the group’s business results during the period. Excluding the gain related to the stake sale, net profit rose 7% year on year to AED 3.2 billion. Group CEO Masood Mahmood said the quarter’s performance "confirms the resilience of our business model and the discipline we apply in turning growth opportunities into tangible results." The figures place the quarter’s result in context, separating the exceptional impact of the transaction from the development of operating profitability.

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) reached AED 26.7 billion in the first nine months of the year, up 10.3%, Gulf News reported. The EBITDA margin was 46.4% over the same period. The nine-month figures show operating earnings growth over a longer period than the quarter alone, while the margin remains a parallel indicator of profitability relative to revenue. The CEO had attributed the quarter’s performance to the resilience of the business model and discipline in turning growth opportunities into tangible results. This comes as the group continues to expand its subscriber base in its domestic market, as shown by the UAE’s third-quarter data.

In the UAE, the number of subscribers rose 5.2% year on year to 16.5 million in the third quarter, according to Gulf News. The metric offers a picture of customer-base growth alongside the improvement in group operating earnings recorded over the nine months. Mahmood said the results reflect "the resilience of our business model," linking performance to discipline in turning growth opportunities into tangible results. The group’s plans were not limited to expanding its existing telecoms base: it announced a target to increase international connectivity capacity to more than 500 terabits per second by 2030. That is more than 25 times current capacity, according to the source.

The announced international-capacity target sets a timeline extending to 2030, with a goal of exceeding 500 terabits per second, or more than 25 times the current level. The announcement is linked to the group’s investment drive in connectivity and digital infrastructure, as nine-month EBITDA rose 10.3% year on year to AED 26.7 billion, with a margin of 46.4%. The quarterly net profit result remains affected by the gain from the Vodafone stake sale, while profit excluding that gain was AED 3.2 billion, up 7% year on year. The period’s indicators thus combine expansion of the subscriber base in the UAE, improved operating earnings and the transaction’s impact on reported profit. The clear milestone ahead in the published information remains the target to increase international connectivity capacity by 2030.