Mena Telecom wins Technology Investment Award

The awards ceremony recognizing outstanding achievements in the telecoms sector was hosted by CommsMEA, the leading telecoms magazine for the Middle East and Africa, on 2 September at the Fairmont, Dubai and was attended by VIPs and business dignitaries from around the region. The judging panel was comprised of international industry experts and consultants.

The award lends credence to Mena Telecom's innovative approach and its continuous investment and growth in the Kingdom of Bahrain, setting new benchmarks for telecoms in the region.

Commenting on receiving the award, Mr. Abdulhakeem Al Khayyat, Chairman of Mena Telecom and General Manager of Kuwait Finance House (Bahrain) said, "The past 12 months has been very successful for Mena Telecom, winning one of the two National Fixed Wireless Access licenses and subsequently signing an agreement with Motorola to plan, deploy and manage a nationwide WiMAX and IP Multimedia Subsystem network across the Kingdom of Bahrain."

In conclusion, Mr. Abdul Razak Jawahery Executive Manager at Kuwait Finance House (Bahrain), representing KFH as Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Mena Telecom said, "The Telecoms Technology Investment of the Year award is special to us at it not only supports our recent achievements in the telecoms sector but also is a reflection of the strategic visions and high caliber and determination of the company to bring the very best of telecommunications technology to the Kingdom of Bahrain."

Mena Telecom expects the WiMAX network to be ready for service by the fourth quarter of 2007. In the first phase, a full range of services is expected to be available from Manama to the Seef Area beginning in January 2008. In the second phase, coverage will be extended to other areas in the Kingdom by March 2008. This new technology will allow Mena Telecom to offer customers wireless broadband; fixed telephony; broadband telephone and VoIP bundles; virtual PBX and IP Centrex solutions; VPNs and data networking solutions and nomadic services.

In addition to the WiMAX service Mena Telecom also offers customers a variety of telecommunication solutions for the business and home, including international fixed line call service, MenaTalk international prepaid calling cards and two-way satellite and broadband applications.