[01] Raed Atef, Independent Researcher on Governance and Management, Dubai, UAE.

This short communication paper aims to address the issue of: how does telecommunication companies in United Arab Emirates deal with potential and current customers? Answering this question relies on available written communication, personal experience, and reflection of companies’ practices in dealing with customers. The paper concludes that companies use several manipulating tools to force customers paying money, and escaping from responsibility when clients submit complaints. In addition, government agency takes companies side and does not protect customers’ rights. This article calls both companies and government agencies to follow the good governance practices in relationship to costumers especially when dealing with individual clients.

Telecommunication Companies, UAE, Customers, Responsibility, Complaints, Governance

[01] Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (TRA). 2015. UAE Telecommunications Sector Developments & Indicators, 2011 – 2014 6th Annual Sector Review. [02] Khaleej Times, April 13, 2016. Free calling apps to remain blocked in UAE http://www.khaleejtimes.com/nation/general/free-calling-apps-to-remain-blocked-in-uae [03] In which countries is Skype or Whats App calling blocked? Accessed July 2, 2017 from https://www.quora.com/In-which-countries-is-Skype-or-WhatsApp-calling-blocked [04] Emaratalyoum Newspaper. An increase of 265%. 13 thousand complaints against Etisalat and Du in 2016. Accessed July 2, 2017 from http://www.emaratalyoum.com/business/local/2017-01-23-1.963836 [05] Client email message to a telecommunication company, 2017 [06] Telecommunication companies website: Etisalaat accessed June 15, 2017 from www. www.etisalat.ae and Du accessed June 15, 2017 from www.du.ae [07] Clearance from Telecommunication Companies is required for business and individuals. Example of Exist Procedures, http://www.dwc.hct.ac.ae/RI/Human%20Resources/Exit%20Procedure/Exit%20Procedures.pdf [08] Observations from TEL.COM services Centre and social communication with some clients. March, April, May, 2017. [09] Araa News, June 2, 2017 accessed from http://www.araanews.ae/328233 [10] Observations from TEL.COM services Centre and social communication with some clients. March, April, May, 2017. [11] Personal observation, March 2017 [12] Please note that TEL.COM contract designed as an application for requesting services. Back of the application i.e. pages do have legal items, legal sentences - unreadable in size and not clear in meaning, and companies staff escaping from showing or presenting this documents to current and potential costumer. Source: Application form belongs to TELCOM. [13] Observations from TEL.COM services Centre and social communication with some clients. April 2017. [14] Observations from TEL.COM services Centre and social communication with some clients. April 2017. [15] Transparency and accountability cannot be separated from rule of law.