Orange Q1 revenue rose 3.5% to €10.1bn as MEA grew 12.7%

Orange reported in its Q1 earnings statement that group revenue rose 3.5% year on year to €10.1 billion, with its Middle East and Africa operations delivering 12.7% growth. CEO Christel Heydemann said the region remained Orange’s main contributor to growth, while France and the rest of Europe posted revenue increases of 2.3% and 2.2% respectively.

Orange said earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortisation and lease costs increased 6.6% to €2.6 billion in Q1. The company said wholesale revenue benefited from significant fibre co-financing in France, and it did not disclose net profit for the quarter.

Orange said it has limited exposure to the crisis in the Middle East and pointed to pending European transactions alongside its Q1 results. The operator expects its buyout of Spanish joint venture MasOrange to close by the end of the current quarter, and it is also in negotiations to acquire parts of SFR, although Orange said there is no certainty that an agreement will be reached.