Etisalat has recently formed a regional strategic partnership with CDNetworks through Etisalat’s SmartHub, to allow greater opportunities for e-commerce and online purchases in the UAE.

The partnership with Etisalat means that the UAE is the latest country to become CDNetworks point of presence (PoP) in the Middle East, joining Turkey, Iraq, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, with CDNetworks now having more than 140 PoPs worldwide.

“With 70% of the UAE population online, CDNetworks customers will benefit greatly from the partnership with Etisalat,” said Jeff Kim, COO Americas/EMEA, CDNetworks. “This point of presence, added to our existing coverage in the Middle East, ensures that our customers who offer online goods and services in the region can provide the best user experience possible.”

The UAE has a solid base of affluent shoppers who are turning to the Internet to research and purchase items. A recent study by MasterCard found that consumers in UAE shop online for airline tickets, hotel rooms and home appliances as well as clothing accessories. According to the International Monetary Fund, the UAE has the seventh largest 2011 GDP per capita in the world, which, says the Central Bank, is potentially growing by 3.5% in 2012, representing a significant market for CDNetworks travel and retail customers.

“We are delighted to partner with CDNetworks,” said Mr. Ali Amiri, Executive Vice President Carrier and Wholesale Services for Etisalat UAE. “The combination of our resilient SmartHub infrastructure and CDNetworks’ Global Cloud Acceleration will enhance the experience of Internet users in the UAE by delivering rich content locally.”

“Through this partnership and others like it, we are developing world-class access to the latest ICT applications utilizing our SmartHub infrastructure which we will continue to develop in order to maintain our leadership position in this field,” said Mr. Amiri.

About CDNetworks

CDNetworks enables Global Cloud Acceleration. Our mission is to transform the Internet into a secure, reliable, scaleable and high performing Application Delivery Network. CDNetworks’ unique position as the only multinational CDN with expertise and infrastructure in China, Russia and other emerging markets, enables us to be trusted partners in local markets, while serving as foremost experts on extending into global markets. Accelerating more than 17,500 global websites and cloud services over our 140 PoPs, CDNetworks serves our e-business customers across industries like finance, travel, eCommerce, learning management, high tech, manufacturing and media. CDNetworks has been serving our enterprise customers for more than 13 years, and has offices in the U.S., Korea, China, Japan, and the UK. For more information, please visit: http://www.cdnetworks.com.