Oct. 15 (Bloomberg) -- Emirates Telecommunications Corp., the third-largest Arab phone company, said net income advanced to 5.5 billion dirhams ($1.5 billion) in the first nine months of the year as it added customers in the United Arab Emirates.

Sales climbed 30 percent to 15.3 billion dirhams in the period, Etisalat, as the company is also known, said in an e- mailed statement today, without giving comparative figures.

To contact the reporter on this story: Tarek Al-Issawi in Dubai at talissawi@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: October 15, 2007 09:12 EDT