2007
- The news you choose »
- Login to Add to Watchlist
Canon opens hub in Dubai
Canon Middle East plans to open a distribution hub in Dubai to improve supply management and customer care capabilities and reduce operating costs. The company says its new hub in the Jebel Ali Free Zone will decrease delivery time by up to 26 days via direct shipment from factories in Japan to Dubai, leverage Dubai's supply scale within a lower overall cost structure, and support future business growth.
Wataniya wins Tunisia case
Wataniya, Qatar Telecom's national mobile telecommunications unit, plans to keep its 50% stake in a Tunisian mobile phone venture after winning an arbitration case against Orascom Telecom Holding, reported Bloomberg. Egypt-based Orascom in May 2006 said it would seek arbitration to force Wataniya to sell its holding in Tunisiana, which Orascom said it had a contractual right to buy to enable it to take full control of the company. An international tribunal found that 'although Wataniya did not respect the right to propose the appointment of Tunisiana's board chairman, this breach itself was not enough to require Wataniya to transfer its 50% shareholding to Orascom.'
Syria blocks Facebook
Syrian authorites blocked the popular social networking site Facebook on 23 November as part of a crackdown on political activism on the internet, reported Reuters. There was no comment from the government, which has intensified a campaign against bloggers, virtual opinion forums and independent media sites in recent months. But there has been speculation that the site has been used by Israel to influence the ideas of Syrian youth.
Orascom talks with Vivendi about a tie-up
Egyptian business tycoon Naguib Sawiris, head of Orascom Telecom has approached French telecom operator Vivendi about a possible telecoms tie-up but the pair failed to agree on price, reported Reuters. Sawiris said earlier this month that the minute there was an opening in France "we will go there."
Mobily to spend billions on technology
Mobily in Saudi Arabia says it will spend 10% of its revenues over the coming year on strengthening its technology. Speaking at the Saudi Investment Forum in Damman, Saudi Arabia, Khalid Omar Al Kaf, CEO of Mobily, said the company would spend 'billions of riyals' improving areas such as the telco's backbone to better supply services. He said there should be more collaboration in the sector and called for more deregulation. In July, Mobily announced first half 2007 operating revenues of 3.9 billion riyals, up 51% on the same period last year.
Celtel extends network
Zain subsidiary Celtel International has extended its 'One Network' to six more African countries - Burkina Faso, Chad, Malawi, Niger, Nigeria and Sudan. These countries join the Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda in the borderless mobile network which was initially launched in September 2006. Both pre-paid and post-paid Celtel customers can make calls at local rates across all 12 countries.
Orascom targets Vivendi
Egypt's Orascom Telecom has approached French media group Vivendi regarding a possible tie-up but a price was unable to be agreed according to France's Les Echos and cited by Reuters. It is thought Orascom offered a range of possible options including equity swaps or a straight stake purchase. Vivendi recently failed to agree a deal to buy 33% of Dubai's Oger Telecom.
ACT-Jordan appointment
Bahrain's ACT, a subsidiary of Qatar Telecom, has appointed Dr Bassam Hannoun as its CEO for ACT-Jordan (ACTJ). Hannoun has worked in the telco sector for 17 years and prior to joining ACTJ, he was the Chief Sales Officer at Orange Jordan. ACTJ is currently rolling out a WiMAX network across the kingdom.
Bahrain telecom market soars
Bahrain's telecom industry revenues rose 74% between 2003 and 2006, while employment in the industry increased 28% over the same period, according to Bahrain's Telecommunications Regulatory Authority. From a base of just under £194m ($516m) in 2003, the industry generated over £342m in 2006, while employment figures rose from 1808 in 2003 to 2322 in the first quarter of 2007. More than half of Bahraini households now enjoy access to the internet, with two-thirds holding fixed telephone lines.
Kuwait to award telco stake
Kuwait has received nine bids from firms and consortiums for a stake in the country's new, unnamed, third mobile telephone firm, with the winner to be announced on Tuesday, reported Reuters. The bidders include the Arab world's largest telecom firm by market value, Saudi Telecom, UAE's Emirates Telecommunications (Etisalat), and Turkey's Turkcell.
Etisalat to invest $5.5bn in Africa
Etisalat, the UAE's leading telecom operator, plans to invest $5.5bn in Africa, including $4.1bn in East Africa and $1.4bn in West Africa, reported Gulf News. The company's chairman, Mohammad Hassan Omran, said Africa is 'absolutely the next big battleground.' The telecom operator has already invested $4.5 billion in international expansion.
Personalize Google in Arabic
Arabic-language web surfers can now customize their Google homepage with information and applications from over 10,000 sources around the world. The personalized homepage's innovative design enables users to drag and drop "sections" in order to arrange the page as they want. Yasmina Brihi, Country Marketing Manager, Middle East North Africa, said Google users have expressed a desire to view more of the information they want in a single place.
Affordable laptop initiative set
The World Development Forum will soon be launching an 'Arab Affordable Laptop' initiative in the Middle East, said Khaled Eid, managing director of the forum. The forum aims to offer laptops priced between $200-$275 in two communities that have yet to be named. Eid said the digital divide is one of the main barriers preventing the Arab World from moving forward in the knowledge economy.
Cisco to invest $268m in KSA
Cisco plans to invest $268m in Saudi Arabia over the next five years to develop and recruit local network consulting engineers, reported Khaleej Times. The company aims to employ and train 96 recruits in 2008 and 200 in 2009 at the professional and associate levels.
Alcazar invests $58.5m in Kenya
Alcazar Capital, a Dubai-based private equity group, has invested $58.5m in Telkom Kenya as part of a France Telecom-led deal that gives 51% of the Kenyan phone firm to the consortium, reported Gulf News. Alcazar CEO Nicholas Bacon said the $390m Kenya deal was agreed on Friday and is expected to be closed before December 12.
It looks like you are using a Mac - check out our 
Web Feeds