Etisalat has said it plans to pay down almost Dhs1.1bn of its short-term debt this year, according to Salem Ali al Sharhan, its chief financial officer, The National has reported. The telecoms company has Dh3.9bn of debt associated with its international subsidiaries. Sharhan added that the company is in talks with UAE government representatives about a reduction in the rate of the annual royalty the company pays to it. Etisalat pays 50% of its net profit as royalty.