du-ing good: Free international talk time for workers

2,000 ‘Hello’ cards to be distributed in addition to 2,000 Alo sim cards.

Dubai — du will provide the UAE’s labour community 2,000 ‘Hello’ recharge cards — used for making international calls — free of charge. The move is in support of the first phase of the Oral Hygiene Drive, initiated by Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai.

du has already announced that it will provide 2,000 ‘Alo’ prepaid cards, loaded with five flexible national and international minutes valid for one day, as part of the first phase of the initiative.

Fahad Al Hassawi, chief commercial officer, du, said: “This working community has played a key role in the construction of the UAE’s award winning cityscape and it is our responsibility to support them by providing this segment of our community with a connection to home. Participating in this ongoing humane initiative is in line with our mission to add life to the lives of these important members of our society. Ultimately this is aligned with the UAE Smart City vision as it will elevate the happiness level of an entire segment of the community by connecting them with their families back home.”

Over the years, du has supported the labour community through a number of initiatives aimed at adding life to life with free sim cards and the opportunity to unwind through sport and entertainment. The telecom operator launched Alo, a unique ‘Pay as you Go’ mobile line, in 2008, to cater to the large expatriate labour workforce in the UAE.

The mobile package has been customised to cater to the unique communication needs of this segment. Much like Pay as You Go, an Alo line is subject to annual renewal ensuring that users can connect with family back home consistently throughout the course of a year. Alo comes with an easy to understand multilingual user guide in the sim pack, as well as du Pay by the Second benefits. It offers low international call rates to the following destinations: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Sudan at rates starting from four to 25 fils per second.

Following the launch of Alo, du distributed free sim cards with pre-loaded credit to low-income workers. For a number of years, du organised cricket matches and marathons for UAE labourers to watch and participate in. In addition, in line with the UAE leadership’s ‘Thank You’ campaign, du organised a movie screening that UAE labourers could enjoy, while du volunteers provided refreshments and gift bags.

reporters@khaleejtimes.com

• UAE