Since the Arab Spring several Gulf governments have pushed for greater control of VoIP and other hard-to-trace communication tools.
Reports suggested that telecoms operator was in talks with Qatari funds to sell a stake in its fixed-line business.
The operator said the deal would be the first of its kind in Saudi Arabia’s telecom sector and would boost the company’s free cash flow.
With many GCC consumers now owning two handsets, mobile advertising represents a golden untapped opportunity.
Emirates International Telecommunications is stepping up sales from its telecoms portfolio to help repay Dubai’s debt pile.
Many of Dubai Holding’s units have had to hold talks with banks to extend liabilities and restructure debt.
The Qatari telecoms company said that it withdrew because of the valuation and frustration with the process.
The deal marks Qatar’s first major investment in a listed Indian company.
The telecoms operator will offer 55.9 million shares at one dinar each.
The rescheduled payment, spread over seven years, will be treated as a commercial loan.
UAE’s Etisalat has reportedly offered a higher price than rival Qatari bidder Ooredoo for Vivendi’s 53 per cent stake in Maroc Telecom.
Sheikh Mohamed bin Isa al-Khalifa has been temporarily replaced by long-serving Peter Kaliaropoulos
A software engineer claimed that the company had asked him to build surveillance tools to intercept customers’ messages on Twitter.
Etisalat recently announced that it has unblocked Skype, but VoIP services by external providers are still banned in the UAE.
The Kingdom plans to sell three mobile virtual network operator licences as part of a plan to liberalise its telecom market.
The smartphone manufacturer will launch the device in Europe and China in June, with other markets following shortly.
Bahrain’s biggest telecom group has now reported a fall in profit in 11 quarters out of 12 and has seen its market share eroded by rivals.
Omantel made a net profit of $75.6 million in the three months to March 31.
The deal is being channelled through Qatar Foundation Endowment.
The telco made a net profit of Dhs467.9 million ($127.38 million) in the three months to March 31, up from Dhs333.13 million in the year-earlier period.
The telecoms group made a net profit of 808 million riyals ($222 million) in the three months to March 31, up from 711 million in the year-earlier period.
The company said increased depreciation arising from network modernisation had impacted its net profit.
A statement from Etisalat on Friday could reinforce speculation among some investors that it will also buy the state’s holding.
Wataniya made a net profit of 19.5 million dinars ($68.4 million) in the three months to March 31, down from 28.3 million dinars in the year-earlier period.
The UAE-based telecoms operator made a net profit of Dhs1.83 billion in the first quarter, up 1.1 per cent from Q1 2012.
The firm posted a net profit of SAR1.55 billion, attributing the profit drop to charges relating to an Indian affiliate.
Mobily’s revenue for the three months to March 31 was 5.63 billion riyals, up from 5.01 billion riyals from the prior-year period.
The UAE telecoms operator has already secured the backing of 12 banks and up to four more could join.
Kyle Whitehill will replace outgoing chief executive Richard Daly from June.
The affiliate of Kuwait’s Zain, made a net loss of 398 million riyals ($106.13 million) in the three months to March 31.