Kuwait Telecom News Wataniya Telecom launches Collect Call based on the Nobill(R) Platform from Symsoft (From BusinessWire, March 3, 2008) STOCKHOLM - The innovative and forward-thinking Wataniya Telecom is the first operator in Kuwait to launch the collect call service, which allows the costs of a mobile call to be taken over by the called party pending his consent. The service is easily accessed and works for both prepaid and postpaid subscriptions and on virtually any handset. Symsoft's Nobill Collect Call platform offers prepaid subscribers a peace of mind that they can reverse the charges even if the prepaid account is depleted. The service appeals to people with limited assets, for example children calling their parents. In other markets, the service has also proved very popular among business users who, instead of using their private mobile subscription, places collect calls that will be charged on the company phone bill. These capabilities will enable Wataniya to improve customer satisfaction and capture incremental revenues that may have been lost otherwise. "We are delighted to be able to introduce the Collect Call service for the first time in Kuwait and to offer our customers an easy and seamless way to communicate with their families and friends, even in the moments when they do not have enough funds to place a call. We found in Symsoft a reliable partner, that responded very well and in a cost-effective manner to our comprehensive technical requirements and to our aggressive time schedule," says Scott Gegenheimer, GM&CEO of Wataniya Telecom. "The co-operation with Wataniya is an important achievement and strengthens Symsoft's position in the Gulf and the Middle East region. In all markets where Collect Call has been introduced, the usage has increased much faster than anticipated, generating substantial added revenues for the operator. The excellent collaboration between our teams has paved the way for a great and long term success and helps Wataniya to tap into new revenues meanwhile enhancing the service offering to its customers," says Bogdan Sacuiu, General Manager, Symsoft Middle East and Africa. Behind Symsoft's success lies a strategy to build all service layer applications on a common, generic and IP-based platform, the Nobill Platform. The Nobill brand covers multiple solutions within charging and value added services that are optimal for future growth in the evolving next generation networks. Each Nobill product offers not only a point solution, but is also a building block that seamlessly integrates with other Nobill products. Symsoft's solutions help boost revenue and cut costs on an increasingly competitive mobile market. Wataniya Telecom teams up with Cisco (From ameinfo.com, October 29, 2007) - Wataniya Telecom is set to maximize business continuity and deliver downtime-free connectivity by deploying a new Wnet Corporate Offering. Designed and implemented over Cisco infrastructure, the Wnet Corporate Offering includes Primary and Backup wireless Wide Area Network (WAN) solutions, which will enable Kuwait's red carpet telecom company to deliver secure and uninterrupted data, voice, video and mobility services, anytime and anywhere. The solution is the most cost-effective corporate wireless broadband solution in Kuwait that allows offices to be connected any place, at anytime. . "Ensuring customer connectivity is at the core of our strategy and Wataniya is continuously seeking state-of-the-art solutions to fulfill customer needs' said Engineer Tareq Beidas, Data & Messaging Products Manager at Wataniya. 'We've been monitoring corporate demand for ongoing connectivity for crucial data traffic and the highest-availability access to business applications for remote sites and branch offices and have found that Cisco will be able to provide us with the reliable and scalable infrastructure that is rapidly deployable and will help ensure an effective alternative to wired connectivity." Implemented by Wataniya and its partners, the solution will increase network availability, deliver automatic failover for business continuity and offers rapid deployment at temporary offices or nomadic sites, including construction sites and temporary points of sale. The solution further improves operational efficiency, leveraging existing IT resources on a single device to manage and maintain Mr Beidas added: "The deployment of the wireless backup solution builds upon our commitment to provide our customers with faster connectivity speeds, mobility, reliability and secure business continuity. Our strategic collaboration with Cisco will enable us to boost our business to the next level'. Tarek Ghoul, General Manager for Cisco North Gulf, said: "Enterprises are always looking for ways to reduce costs, increase revenue, and enhance business continuity. Improved network speed, reliability, coverage, and advances in wireless modem and gateway technology, will encourage businesses in Kuwait to become more innovative, agile and dynamic. Ghoul added: "Wataniya has been heavily investing in providing the business sector in Kuwait with evolving connectivity solutions. Through offering an uninterrupted connection to its customers, Wataniya Telecom will be able to provide businesses with the latest releases of flexible connectivity solutions that would help them to develop their operations." Kuwait telecom giant MTC changes brand name to Zain (September 8, 2007) KUWAIT CITY (AFP) - Kuwait's telecom giant MTC Group on Saturday began operating under the new brand name Zain as part of its bid to climb into the top 10 of global telecom operators, officials said. "The move will bring all the company operations in 21 countries under one brand name. It is a part of our strategy to become one of the top 10 global companies," the CEO and general manager for Kuwait, Barrak al-Sabeeh, told a press conference. The company's operations in Kuwait, Jordan, Bahrain and Sudan will immediately come under the new name, while its operations in 14 African countries, Iraq and Lebanon will change later. MTC in Saudi Arabia, slated to launch in early 2008, will operate as Zain. The company has been awarded the third mobile licence in the oil-rich kingdom for 6.1 billion dollars. Sabeeh said that Zain headquarters will shortly be based in neighbouring Dubai or Bahrain or in the Dutch city of Amsterdam. He said the company will continue to expand globally by chasing every investment opportunity. Currently, Zain is bidding for licences in Qatar and Algeria. The company's customer base increased 40 percent to 32.15 million on June 30 compared to 22.9 million subscribers a year ago. The group, in which the Kuwaiti government has a 24.6-percent stake, saw its capitalisation double to 28 billion dollars, after making a number of multi-billion-dollar acquisitions in the past few years. It is one of two mobile operators in Kuwait, along with the National Telecommunications Co (Wataniya). A third company is currently being established with operations expected in the first quarter of 2008. Qtel buys 51% stake in Wataniya for $3.72b (March 3, 2007) Kuwait (Reuters) - Qatar Telecommunications (Qtel) has agreed to buy 51 per cent of Kuwait's National Mobile Telecommunications (Wataniya) for 1.075 billion dinars ($3.72 billion), the largest telecom acquisition in the Gulf region. "We have reached an agreement to sell 51 per cent of the capital of Wataniya ... to Qtel," Faisal Al Ayyar, chief executive of Kuwait Projects (Kipco), told a news conference in Kuwait yesterday. Kipco, which owned around 24 per cent of Wataniya, was appointed last week by the consortium of shareholders to lead negotiations with buyers. Qtel would pay shareholders 4.6 dinars per share, Al Ayyar said. The share closed at 3.1 dinars on Wednesday, the last trading day of the week. Qtel, which is bracing for the end of its monopoly in Qatar this year, was one of three Gulf operators named as potential bidders for the stake put up for sale by a group of Wataniya shareholders. Qtel has been less active on the acquisition trail than other rivals in the world's biggest oil-exporting region. The company operates a subsidiary in Oman and bought a 25 per cent stake in Asia Mobile Holdings, a unit of Singapore Technologies Telemedia, in January. It borrowed $2 billion in November mainly to finance acquisitions. Emirates Telecommunications (etisalat), the second largest Arab telecoms firm by market value, said on Tuesday it had dropped plans for a bid for Wataniya. The other potential buyer was Dubai-based Oger Telecom, owned by conglomerate Saudi Oger. It said on Wednesday it was not in talks on the stake but declined to say whether it would consider a bid. Kuwaiti telecom giant MTC posts record 2006 profits (February 19, 2007) KUWAIT CITY (AFP) - Kuwait's Mobile Telecommunications Co (MTC) announced record net profits of 305.3 million dinars (1.056 billion dollars) in 2006, a 67.9 percent year-on-year rise. MTC became the first Kuwaiti private company to post net income of over one billion dollars. It also more than doubled its revenues to 4.18 billion dollars from the two billion dollars it posted in 2005, the company said in a statement. The company's customer base increased from 14 million subscribers at the end of 2005 in 19 countries to 27 million at the end of last year in 20 countries, the statement said. "MTC is proud of achieving these excellent results and recording this profit which is unprecedented in the history of Kuwait's private sector," chairman Asaad al-Banwan said. "2006 represented an important turning point for MTC's financial and operational performance," he added. Banwan said the company is eying the third mobile operator license in neighboring Saudi Arabia, for which bids are expected to start by the end of this month The jump in MTC's profits and revenues came mainly after the group acquired Dutch firm CelTel, which operates in 13 African nations, at a cost of around 3.4 billion dollars about two years ago. CelTel later bought majority stakes in Madagascar's Madacom and Nigeria's Vmobile. MTC also completed the acquisition of Sudan's premier mobile company Mobitel in a deal worth 1.332 billion dollars. Last month, the company announced a new ambitious strategy that aims to triple its customer base to 70 million subscribers and increase capitalization to 30 billion dollars by 2011. Its capitalization reached 17 billion dollars at mid February, the company said. The group also expects its revenues to hit six billion dollars by 2011, its deputy chairman Saad Barrak said. Apart from Kuwait, MTC, in which the state owns a 24.6 percent stake, also operates in Jordan, Bahrain, Iraq, and Lebanon. MTC is one of two mobile operators in Kuwait, along with the National Telecommunications Co (Wataniya). Kuwait-based Celtel to acquire majority share in Nigerian telecom firm (April 18, 2006) LAGOS (AFP) - Kuwaiti MTC-owned Celtel International has entered into a deal to acquire a 65 percent stake, worth one billion dollars, of Vmobile, the Nigerian telecommunications firm said in a statement. "Vmobile announces that it has today (Sunday) entered into a conditional agreement with Celtel International whereby Celtel will acquire a 65 percent stake in the company for a total consideration of around one billion dollars (850 million euros)," the statement said. The remaining shareholders have an option to sell their shares to Celtel at a similar valuation at a later date, it said. Celtel, previously owned by a Dutch firm, operates in 14 African countries, including Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Chad and Gabon. It was acquired in May 2005 by MTC of Kuwait, a leading operator in the Middle East, for 3.4 billion dollars. Vmobile began its operations in Nigeria on August 5, 2001, becoming the first GSM company to launch its services in the country. Kuwait go-ahead for third telecom firm (From Gulf Daily News, April 4, 2006) KUWAIT CITY - Kuwait's parliament yesterday approved setting up a third mobile telecom company, but the government said it would oppose the plan in the absence of a feasibility study. The vote came a day after the cabinet approved "in principle" the plan, but linked it to a study into the need for another operator in the small Gulf state of 2.7 million people which already has two telecom firms. The approved bill did not include the feasibility study. Before the vote, Deputy Prime Minister Mohammad Sharar told MPs that the government "does not accept the principle of setting up a company through a bill and we will refer this issue to the constitutional court". He said the bill was interference in government prerogatives. If the government opposed the bill, it will have to be approve again by a two-thirds vote to become law - an outcome MPs say they believe is achievable. MP Walid Al Jiri said a third telecom company was a necessity to open up the sector. He said the government should back the plan if it is serious in pushing reform. "A referral of the issue to the Constitutional Court will not stop this bill's passage ... If it (government) sends the bill back to parliament, the house will also play its role and vote on it and pass it with the special majority," Jiri added. State news agency KUNA said parliament's draft law asks the government to license a third mobile telecom firm with a capital of 100 million dinars ($342.5m). It also stipulates that the government bear the subscription as a grant from the emir. Newspapers have reported that 40 per cent of the new company's shares was to be held by a state pension body. Kuwait is served by Mobile Telecom (MTC) and smaller rival National Mobile Telecom Co, also known as Wataniya Telecom, which together have more than 2 million local customers and operations abroad. MTC Managing Director Saad A Barrak said last week he expected a third operator would incur losses, citing a study which put mobile phone penetration at about 105pc. Analyst Jasem Al-Sadoun of Al Shall Economic and Consulting said: "Of course it is going to be hard for the new company for the first two or three years but later on I think everything is going to be okay." "This competitive environment will increase quality and reduce prices. So it is going to be a success story." MPs say the competition between MTC and Wataniya, set up in the early 1980s and in 1999 respectively, has done little to improve the quality of services and that prices remain high. Kuwaiti MTC reports 55 percent rise in 2005 profits (February 21, 2006) KUWAIT CITY (AFP) - Kuwait's Mobile Telecommunications Co (MTC) announced record net profits of 185.9 million dinars (637 million dollars) in 2005, a massive 54.7 percent rise on the previous year. MTC also netted record revenues of about two billion dollars last year, an 80 percent increase over the 1.1 billion dollars of revenues in 2004, the company said. The company's customer base rose more than fourfold from 3.2 million users in five countries in 2004, to 14 million subscribers in 19 nations at the end of last year, it said Tuesday. "Last year was a key turning point that positively reflected on the financial performance of the group," MTC chairman Asaad al-Banwan said. During 2005, the group "achieved most of its goals on the way to become a global operator", he said. The sharp increase came mainly after MTC acquired Dutch firm CelTel which operates in 13 African nations, at a cost of around 3.4 billion dollars. CelTel later bought a majority stake in Madagascar's Madacom. MTC prematurely repaid a 2.4-billion-dollar bridge facility it received last year from regional banks through doubling its capital, raising 2.28 billion dollars, and also by acquiring a 750-million dollar Islamic loan from six regional Islamic banks. Earlier this month, MTC completed the acquisition of Sudan's premier mobile company Mobitel in a deal worth 1.332 billion dollars by purchasing the remaining 61 percent stake from the Sudanese government. Apart from Kuwait, MTC, in which the state owns a 24 percent stake, also operates in Jordan, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon. The telecommunication company has a capitalization of 14 billion dollars and its shareholders equity rose from 1.3 billion dollars in 2004 to 4.1 billion dollars last year. MTC is one of two mobile operators in Kuwait, along with the National Telecommunications Co (Wataniya). MTC bids for Egypt's 3rd license (February 7, 2006) KUWAIT (Reuters) - Kuwait's Mobile Telecommunications Co. (MTC) confirmed on Sunday it was bidding for Egypt's third mobile phone license. "We look forward to having an opportunity to support Egypt's burgeoning telecommunications infrastructure and growing economy," Managing Director Saad al-Barrak said in a statement that noted MTC "is bidding for the third GSM license in Egypt." Egypt said in late January it would start a bidding process within two weeks for the third license, which will be for both second generation (2G) and 3G mobile services. The new network is expected to start operating by the end of 2006 or early 2007. Emirates Telecommunications Corp. (Etisalat) has confirmed it plans to bid for Egypt's third license, while Saudi Telecom has said it was studying that and Cairo's Raya Holding said it was part of a consortium including South Africa's MTN that had been formed to consider bidding. Vodafone Egypt and the Egyptian Company for Mobile Services (Mobinil) currently operate the only two mobile networks in Egypt, which has a population of more than 70 million. Both companies provide a 2G mobile service. MTC, which has about 15 million customers, said recently it was interested in Iran, India, Pakistan, Turkey as well as Egypt, which the company said it considered as a very important project. The fast-growing telecom market in Egypt is relatively young with a mobile penetration of 16 per cent, according to the statement from MTC, which operates in Kuwait, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Bahrain and sub-Saharan Africa through subsidiary Celtel. "By combining both our experience in Africa with that of MTC's experience in the Middle East, we are confident that we can provide a competitive service for Egypt," Mohamed Ibrahim, chairman of Celtel International, said. MTC buys Sudan firm for $1.3bn (From Gulf Daily News, February 7, 2006) KUWAIT CITY - Mobile Tele-communications, Kuwait's largest mobile operator, has acquired Sudan's premier mobile company in a deal worth $1.33 billion, MTC said yesterday. MTC, which has held 39 per cent of Mobitel through its African subsidiary CelTel, acquired the remaining stake from the Sudanese government in a deal concluded on Sunday to become the sole owner of the company, the statement said. "We are very excited about this opportunity and we believe that this transition will add great value to the MTC Group and will offer attractive returns to MTC shareholders," chairman Asaad Al Banwan said. Mobitel increased its customer base by 70pc last year to 1.9 million users, Banwan said. MTC said it plans to invest around $500m through 2007 to develop Mobitel and further expand its customer base. Last year, MTC acquired Dutch firm CelTel which operates in 13 African nations at a cost of around $3.4bn. In December, CelTel bought a majority stake in Madagascar's Madacom. Wataniya boosts broadband connectivity across Kuwait (From menareport.com, December 19, 2005) - Wataniya Telecom, the red carpet company, has announced the availability of wireless connectivity all over Kuwait, accessed using the W-Net card. The W-Net Card offers customers the ability to have wireless internet access via their laptop anywhere in Kuwait, by means of the EDGE network that was deployed earlier this year. “Wataniya Telecom has upgraded its network significantly in the course of 2005, building one of the world’s most advanced and capable mobile networks and the most technologically advanced mobile networks in the Middle East region. We have launched a series of new products and services this year, consistent with our core strategy to offer customers the services that matter to them. One of these products is the W-Net card which will undoubtedly serve as a facilitator for enterprise mobility in Kuwait,” said Harri Koponen, CEO & General Manager, Wataniya Telecom. The W-Net wireless data card comes in the form of a PC Card that can be easily installed on any laptop and is automatically activated at the point of purchase. Users can enjoy wireless data speeds up to 200 Kbps and 99.9% system availability throughout the country. Initially, a one-time 120 KD fee is applicable along with 5 KD activation fee. Customers can either pay a monthly subscription fee of 10KD for unlimited use or access wireless Internet on a pay-as-you-go basis, costing 1 fils per kilobyte. The W-Net card has been available to customers since July this year, through Wataniya’s branches across Kuwait. Earlier this month, at InfoBiz 2005, Wataniya also offered its customers the opportunity to acquire the W-Net card at a special rate, which received a very strong response from business customers. “Our customers, especially businesses, can now reap the benefits of the fastest wireless data speeds available nation-wide. It not only creates mobility for business people on the move but supplies them with reliable broadband connectivity,” Mr. Koponen added. “Wataniya Telecom continues to enhance the relationship it has with customers, by acting as their Red Carpet service provider for every aspect related to mobility, connectivity and information access anywhere.” Kuwait's Wataniya Telecom third-quarter revenue up 56% (From Gulf News, October 21, 2005) Dubai - It's good to talk, it's even better to charge customers for the privilege to do so. Hot on the heels of Etisalat's 22 per cent increase in revenue to a sizable Dh3.046 billion for the first nine months of 2005, comes Kuwait's Wataniya Telecom's consolidated third quarter results. Revenues for the third quarter grew to Dh1.21 billion ($330.8 million), an increase of 56 per cent compared to the same period in 2004. On that revenue Wataniya Telecom earned a profit of Dh496 million ($133.5 million) for the first nine months of the year, a 32 per cent rise compared to the same period for 2004. Wataniya is one of the Middle East's more regional players, with operations in Kuwait, Tunisia, Iraq, Algeria, Saudi Arabia and the Maldives. It has 5.2 million customers across the region. "The company achieved excellent numbers particularly in Algeria and Iraq where we exceeded the one million subscriber mark in each operation during this quarter. "This is exceedingly good news for the group," said Faisal Al Ayyar, chairman of Wataniya Telecom. Wataniya Telecom made gains across the region. In Kuwait the telecom operator claims to have experienced "an overwhelming response to its prepaid roaming initiative," letting customers continue talking while traveling during summer vacation. Wataniya Telecom's customer base increased to 928,444 active customers. In Tunisia the company snagged a steep 40 per cent share of the total market. In Iraq, subsidiary Asiacell reached 1.1 million subscribers, and also launched service in Baghdad on July 22. Asiacell will be extending its network to the southern part of the country during the fourth quarter. Wataniya's Nedjma operation in Algeria also gained more than one million subscribers, signing up 1,164,455 users in just over one year. The company also completed a successful trial of Push To Talk over Cellular (PoC) during this quarter, as well as being the first to launch GPRS roaming on its 100 per cent EDGE capable network. In Saudi Arabia, Bravo, the first iDEN network in the GCC and the kingdom, launched service in the western sector on July 5. Specialising in providing communications solutions for groups through its Push-To-Do services, Bravo has expanded its service coverage to include Makkah, Medina, Jeddah, Dammam and Dhahran, including the Makkah-Jeddah highway. The regulator will release the remaining frequency before year-end to allow Bravo to cover Riyadh and other areas. Across the region "our focus on sound investments and technological advancements in the markets where we operate continues to be our main focus as we identify and pursue future opportunities in telecommunications," Ayyar added. Nokia wins $125m deal to upgrade Kuwait telecom  (From Gulf Daily News, May 31, 2005) KUWAIT CITY - Finnish mobile telephone giant Nokia yesterday won a $125 million deal from Wataniya Telecom to upgrade the network of Kuwait's number two mobile operator. A signing ceremony confirming the deal was attended by Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen who is in Kuwait on a four-day official visit. The deal, slated to be completed early next year, involves supplying state-of-the-art radio and core networks technology to upgrade the Kuwaiti company's network. "This relationship gives us a platform to provide the most advanced, capable and reliable network services in the region," Harri Koponen, CEO and general manager of Wataniya, said. Earlier this year, Wataniya signed a deal with Sweden's Ericsson worth $90m for modernizing its network in parts of Kuwait. "This deal will complement the Ericsson contract and will help upgrade the whole network," Wataniya chief strategy officer Niklas Sonkin said. Wataniya Telecom, which began operations in late 1999, now has 860,000 customers in Kuwait and a total of more than 3m users in Iraq, Tunisia and Algeria besides Kuwait, Sonkin said. The contract signed with Nokia is the first phase of a major modernization deal, Nokia senior vice president, Networks, Walid Moneimne said, but declined to provide details on the second phase. Nokia is currently operating in six Arab countries, Iran and Pakistan, he said. Moneimne expected that 150m new mobile users will be added to the Middle Eastern market within four years. MTC seals $2.4 billion loan agreement (From Gulf News, May 25, 2005) KUWAIT CITY - Kuwaiti telecoms operator MTC signed a one-year $2.4 billion debt deal with international banks yesterday to help finance its purchase of Dutch firm Celtel, which operates in Africa. Mobile Telecommunications officials told a news conference that the four principal banks involved are UBS, Barclays, Credit Suisse and National Bank of Kuwait. Each underwrote $600m. Another 44 regional and international banks were also involved in the deal. MTC snapped up Celtel, which has operations in 13 African countries, for about $3.36bn in March, saying it was keen to expand into fast-growing Africa from the Middle East. It bought 85 per cent of Celtel immediately and will acquire the remaining 15pc within two years. The financing arranged yesterday was a syndicated bridge facility to be replaced by longer term financing later. With the purchase of Celtel, MTC will have operations in 18 countries. MTC has said it will retain Celtel as a separate entity and keep its current management. MTC's Vice Chairman and Managing Director Saad Al Barrak said Celtel would contribute to MTC's earnings this year. Barrak said MTC's long-term plan was to increase this number to over 15 million by 2011, partly through expansion to reach 20 countries in Africa. MTC plans loan for Celtel takeover (From Gulf Daily News, April 5, 2005) KUWAIT - Kuwaiti mobile phone operator MTC will fund its recently announced $3.36 billion acquisition of Netherlands-based Celtel with existing cash and a $2.4bn loan being arranged by international bankers. Celtel says it has agreed to Co. offer (March 29, 2005) LONDON (AP) - Kuwait's Mobile Telecommunications Co. said Tuesday it has agreed to buy Celtel International, a communications network company with major interests across Africa, in a cash deal worth $3.36 billion (2.58 billion euros). MTC vice chairman and managing director Saad Al Barrak said the acquisition of Celtel, which has built and operates telephone networks in 13 African countries, will give MTC the largest regional footprint in the Middle East and Africa. "Together, MTC and Celtel will leverage the strong synergies, shared cultural values and heritage which exist between the Arab World and Sub-Saharan Africa," he said. Africa is one of the least developed regions for telecoms due to the relatively low penetration of fixed-line services. With a population of 850 million and most growth coming from South Africa, Morocco, Nigeria and Egypt, there is plenty of potential, analysts say. Mobile subscriptions across Africa rose 47 percent to 76.5 million in 2004, according to London-based research firm Informa Telecoms & Media. MTC, which is listed on the Kuwait Stock Exchange with a market capitalization of some $7 billion (5.3 billion euros), already has operations in Kuwait, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, and Bahrain. Under the terms of the deal, MTC will acquire 85 percent of the issued capital of Celtel immediately for $2.84 billion (2.15 billion euros), and the remaining 15 percent within two years of the closing date of the deal for $520 million (393.94 million euros). MTC said it will fund the acquisition through a combination of existing cash and new debt. Celtel will remain as a separate entity within the MTC group, retaining its existing management structures and continuing to operate under its brand name. "In the past Celtel deployed European and American funds to assist the development of telecommunications infrastructure in Africa. Today we are engaging the Middle East in this process," said Mo Ibrahim, the founder of Celtel who will join a new board following the acquisition. "This transaction represents a key step in bringing these sources of wealth to support the development of Africa." Wataniya signs deals with eight countries (From gulf-news.com, August 2, 2004) Dubai - Wataniya Telecom, the Kuwaiti mobile operator, has signed eight new GPRS and MMS roaming agreements with Singapore's Starhub, Jordan's Mobilecom, Bahrain's Batelco, Hong Kong's CSL, UAE's Etisalat, Orange from the UK, the Philippines' Smart Communications and T-Mobile of the US. Wataniya now extends to its customers the ability to send and receive photo messages, access e-mail and the Internet as well as its full range of Action services in eight countries worldwide. Through these roaming agreements, customers of Wataniya Telecom, Starhub, T-Mobile, Etisalat, Batelco, Orange, Smart Communications, Mobilecom and CSL subscribers will be able to access their GPRS and MMS services when roaming in any of these countries. The services accessible by any of the eight network operators while roaming in Kuwait will include services ranging from internet and e-mail access to MMS. Wataniya Telecom's customers will similarly be able to access Wataniya's full range of Action services, including internet, e-mail access, MMS and premium content while visiting any of the eight other markets. "We are pleased to provide Wataniya customers access to the full range of Action services when traveling outside Kuwait," said Fuad Al Ablani, Wataniya's deputy general manager. Kuwait's Wataniya Telecom launches new service (From menareport.com, July 25, 2004) Wataniya Telecom, Kuwait's leading mobile operator, has launched a new promotional roaming service for post-paid mobile users. "Roaming Without Deposit" is designed to give its post paid customers greater accessibility to roaming mobile services by eliminating the fee demanded by most operators as a deposit. The new service allows subscription to roaming services on a direct debit billing system. "Mobiles have become a huge part of our lives," said Andrei Torriani, Chief Product Development and Technology Officer, Wataniya Telecom. "From a business point of view, we are on call 24 hours a day regardless of where in the world we are. For this reason roaming services are an essential component of the services operators provide. However, many mobile users view roaming services as unattractive because of the hefty deposit charges. This service was designed to address this exact issue and ensure that our customers get what they need when they need it." "Roaming Without Deposit" provides mobile users with up to 150 KD of monthly roaming usage without the need for a deposit. Instead, billing is done through the Direct Debit Credit Card Facility provided by Wataniya. This service is a promotion throughout the summer for post-paid Wataniya Telecom customers. Subscription can be done through the Wataniya Telecom Branches, Head Sales Office or the Business and Commercial Accounts Departments. The service will be activated within 24 hours of subscription once the customer has subscribed to the direct debit payment facility. Wataniya Telecom H1 profit up 39pc (From Khaleej Times, July 15, 2004) DUBAI - Wataniya Telecom, the leading Kuwait GSM mobile operator and member of Kuwait Projects Company (Kipco), has announced net profit of KD21.03 million ($71.0 million), or 52.2 fils (17.6 cents) per share for the first half of 2004, an increase of 39 per cent compared to KD15.17 million ($51.2 million), or 40.2 fils (13.6 cents) per share earned in the same period of 2003. An increase of 12,766 Kuwait customers in the second quarter of 2004 saw Wataniya close the first half of the year with 817,180 active customers in Kuwait, maintaining an estimated 50 per cent market share. "Our customer base has increased by 1.6 per cent over the first quarter of 2004, which can be attributed to the company's on-going development of new, value added services that give customers a diverse range of compelling services to bring rich content to mobile phones," said Wataniya chairman and Kipco managing director & CEO Faisal Al Ayyar. "Market penetration in Kuwait today has reached 75 per cent, and Wataniya's market leadership continues to enhance this growth," he said. As well as expanding service offerings in Kuwaiti market, Wataniya has delivered strong regional growth, winning licenses in 2003 to operate networks in Iraq and Algeria alongside the existing Tunisia operation. The company is actively pursuing other regional license opportunities and partnerships to further build its regional portfolio. "Wataniya expanded tremendously in 2003 with three new operations in Tunisia, Iraq and Algeria," said Mr. Al Ayyar. "We are currently working on consolidating our strength in these markets and to efficiently leverage our resources to ensure that all these markets continue to gain in momentum and success. "Today, Wataniya's networks are serving over 1.7 million customers across the region, a milestone we are proud of having achieved after only five years in the market." He added: "The services offered by Wataniya are driving the region's telecommunication market, and changing the industry focus from 'line-selling', to growth of ARPU (Average Revenue per User). Our strategy is and will continue to be to expand our existing operations, and keep a close eye on emerging market opportunities." GPRS, MMS roaming services for Batelco, Wataniya customers (From Bahrain Tribune, July 8, 2004) - Bahrain Telecommunications Company (Batelco) and Wataniya Telecom of Kuwait have teamed up to become the first GSM operators in their markets to offer full GPRS and MMS access for each network's customers while roaming in Bahrain or Kuwait. The introduction of GPRS and MMS roaming signifies the commitment both operators have made to continue delivering value services to their customers. "Bahrain is witnessing dynamic growth thanks to the recent liberalization of its telecom sector, and this has pumped new energy into the market while driving a renewed approach to service excellence and customer satisfaction," said Tony Hart, Batelco chief executive. "The company has anticipated this vibrant change and is committed to ensuring that it stays at the forefront of service and technology development so that its customers will continue to receive world-class services both at home and now in Kuwait. We are pleased to offer this service with Wataniya Telecom and will continue to build on this positive momentum moving forward. The roaming service started on June 15 on a free trial basis for a limited period of time." The roaming agreement allows both Batelco and Wataniya customers to access their GPRS and MMS services when roaming in either country. Services accessible by Batelco customers while roaming in Kuwait include services ranging from Internet and e-mail access to MMS. Wataniya Telecom's customers can similarly access Wataniya's full range of action services including Internet, e-mail access, MMS and premium content. Sweden's Teleca wins MTC-Vodafone Kuwait contract (From menareport.com, April 29, 2004) - Swedish IT services company Teleca has been selected to supply an inventory management system to MTC-Vodafone in Kuwait as part of a larger agreement with prime contractor Harris Corporation. Teleca will deploy the inventory management solution based on software from Cramer, stated a press release. MTC-Vodafone in Kuwait will use the Teleca and Cramer solution to manage inventory in its GSM/GPRS network and, in combination with the Harris fault management, and ADC Metrica performance management solutions. Successful deployment in Kuwait could lead to additional commissions for operators connected with MTC in the region, Teleca said. The MTC Group operates in Kuwait and Bahrain as MTC-Vodafone; as Fastlink in Jordan and as Atheer in Iraq. The MTC Group was recently awarded the contract to take over the management of LibanCell in Lebanon. Report: competition dynamics in Kuwait's GSM market a healthy model for Gulf region (From menareport.com, April 20, 2004) - Kuwait's MTC-Vodafone maintained its postpaid edge in 2003, while Wataniya remains a predominantly prepaid service provider. With the Kuwaiti market approaching saturation, the two operators have expanded their operations outside Kuwait, establishing themselves as strong regional operators, according to a recent report by Arab Advisors Group. MTC reversed the 2002 results in 2003 and grabbed 57 percent of total market additions in 2003. This has moved its market share from 53 percent in 2002 to 54 percent in 2003. There are 1.7 million mobile subscribers in Kuwait translating into a penetration rate of 74 percent. The high penetration is the healthy result of the duopoly competition between Kuwait’s two mobile operators, MTC-Vodafone and Wataniya Telecom. As the competition for market dominance in Kuwait continues, and with the cellular market nearing saturation, the operators have been scrambling to achieve the technological edge to win over customers. Kuwaiti mobile users already enjoy services such as online bill payment, GPRS services that offer downloads of music and games, and MMS services. “Kuwait remains a predominantly prepaid market, with prepaid subscribers constituting almost 80 percent of cellular users," Arab Advisors Group’s research analyst Yaman Al-Jundi wrote in the report. "Wataniya holds the edge in the prepaid market, with a 53 percent market share. MTC-Vodafone holds a dominant 81 percent of the postpaid market share.” “The mobile market grew by 30 percent in 2003," Al-Jundi added. "MTC-Vodafone lost postpaid subscribers for the third straight year, recording a four percent drop in 2003. Wataniya recorded an impressive 90 percent growth in postpaid subscribers, but its overall postpaid subscriber base stands at only a quarter of MTC-Vodafone’s postpaid subscribers base.” The Arab Advisors Group believes the Kuwaiti mobile market to be the model for healthy competition in the Gulf region. The cellular penetration in Kuwait jumped from 28 percent in 2000 to reach an impressive 74 percent in 2003. The result of the competition has been a race to offer improved value-added services and technologies, which ultimately will benefit the individual mobile user, as well as the operators themselves, since these services will surely enhance revenues and profits. Wataniya Telecom indicates positive growth in 2004 (From menareport.com, April 11, 2004) - Kuwait's Wataniya Telecom recorded a post-tax net profit of 33.1 million Kuwaiti dinars ($112.6 million) from KD 160 million of consolidated revenue from operations in Kuwait, Iraq and Tunisia for the year 2003. Wataniya Telecom's home market showed a 48 percent increase in 2003 with KD 125.6 million, boosting net profit by 61 percent to KD 33.5 million. This significant increase in profit has been largely due to the company's ongoing cost-reduction programs and improved asset utilization, reported a bank press release. "Through the addition of regional mobile operations, Wataniya Telecom today serves around 1.5 million customers in Kuwait, Iraq and Tunis. We expect to be fully operational in Algeria this year and we will continue to strengthen our service offering in all our operations as the company continues to consolidate its operational expertise and revenue generating services," said Chairman of Wataniya Telecom, Faisal Al-Ayyar. Wataniya Telecom is part of the Kuwait Projects Company (KIPCO) group. Launched in 1999 as the second licensed GSM provider in the Emirate, Wataniya Telecom has a market capitalization exceeding $3.4 billion. The company has over 770,000 subscribers in Kuwait and 250,000 in Tunisia. Kuwait 's Wataniya Telecom signs deal with Ericsson (March 22, 2004) (MENAFN) - Kuwait's Wataniya Telecom signed an agreement with Ericsson for the supply and installation of GSM infrastructure and systems for Wataniya networks inside and outside Kuwait, Dow Jones Newswires reported. An official at Wataniya said that the agreement means that the Kuwaiti firm will use Ericsson equipment for building new networks and upgrading its existing networks in Kuwait, Tunisia, Iraq and Algeria. Al Wataniya said in a statement that the deal would allow the Kuwaiti operator to expand networks and provide additional advanced services to be launched in the near future. No financial details were immediately available.