Omani telecomms CEO resigns following 8 days of protest

The CEO of the Omani Qatari Telecommunications Company (Ooredoo) has resigned, following a prolonged protest by service users over the network's prices.

According to a statement made to the Muscat Securities Market this morning, Greg Young resigned on 18 October for personal reasons. The announcement was made by the board of directors, which accepted his resignation.

Ooredoo and Omantel customers have been maintaining a daily boycott of their phone networks since October 11, following complaints over what they said were high prices and bad service.

Organised under the hashtag #مقاطعه_عمانتل_واوريدو (#boycott_Omantel_Ooredoo), customers have been switching their phone off every evening between the hours of 4 and 6pm.

On October 12, the day after the boycott began, the Omani minister of telecommunications summoned all of the sector's CEOs and leaders to a meeting to discuss the "developments and challenges facing the sector", including the "quality of services".

Greg Young was appointed CEO of Ooredoo in October 2013, having previously worked as CEO of Sri Lanka Telecomms.

In 2015 he promised "widespread, capable data service available to customers" in an interview with The Business Year.

Oordeoo's statement names Jorgen Latte, the company’s chief financial officer as Acting Chief Executive Officer "until the Board appoints a new Chief Executive Officer".

The company's website has been updated to allow for the change.

Ooredoo was named the 'most Innovative Company of the Year (in Middle East and Africa)' at the International Business Awards in Toronto, 2015.