Vodafone Qatar has reported its first ever net profit as the telecom company earned a revenue of QR532mn for the first quarter of 2018. 
The company’s total revenue of QR532mn represents an increase of 2.8% compared to the same period last year, which Vodafone said, was led by growth in postpaid subscribers and handset sales. 
Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) for the said period improved by 2.9% year-on-year to reach QR135mn, supported by an increase in postpaid subscribers, coupled with disciplined cost management and a resulting decrease in operating expenses.  
EBITDA margin stood flat at 25.3% year-on-year, Vodafone Qatar said.
The company’s mobile telecommunication licence has been extended by an additional 40 years to 2068, resulting in an amortisation benefit of QR80mn per quarter. 
Due to this saving and higher EBITDA, the company reported a profit of QR17mn, the first ever profitable quarter representing a significant improvement from the loss of QR74mn from the same period last year. 
By the end of March this year, the total mobile customers were 1.4mn, in part due to a strong growth in postpaid subscribers at 25% year-on-year, led by the popularity of Vodafone Qatar’s ‘FLEX’ and ‘Enterprise’ plans.
On the strong results, Vodafone Qatar CEO Sheikh Hamad Abdulla Jassim al-Thani said, “The structural changes made to the company has positively impacted the financial results. I am pleased to see the company reporting its first ever quarterly net profit. These results clearly indicate the significant improvement in the company’s operations and the encouraging impact of the licence extension.  
“Looking ahead, we remain focused on delivering our clear strategic objectives of world class customer experience, digital and innovative products and solutions and accelerated investment in fixed services to deliver strong shareholder value in the long term”.
Vodafone provides a range of services including voice, messaging, data and fixed communications in Qatar.  
Vodafone Qatar commenced commercial operations in Qatar on March 1, 2009, with around 1.4mn customers now actively using Vodafone’s services supported by the company’s state of the art network. 
Having built a converged IP network, in October 2012 Vodafone Qatar launched a comprehensive range of fibre-based enterprise grade and residential fixed products and services.