Zain Bahrain has been instructed to sell 15 per cent of its shares in the IPO and list on Bahrain’s bourse.
Telecomes operators are surging ahead with plans to build greater data storage and boost internet speed in the GCC.
Kuwaiti telecoms operator Zain holds a 56.3 per cent stake in Zain Bahrain.
The UAE telecoms operator had been blocking Skype, the free internet-to-internet phone calls site, for several years.
French media group Vivendi aims to offload its 53 per cent holding in Moroccan firm Maroc.
The operator, which has yet to make a quarterly profit since launching services in 2008, last week extended a $2.4 billion Islamic loan to April 30.
The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority was due to auction 12 lots of spectrum primarily for 4G networks from March 31.
The order did not state how long telcos would be given to comply with the new regulations.
Abdulaziz Fakhroo replaces Bassam Hannoun becoming the telco’s third chief executive in less than a year.
Abdulaziz al-Sugair will take the helm following the imminent departure of CEO Khaled al-Ghoneim.
Fahd bin Ibrahim al-Dughaither has been named the new head of the struggling telecoms operator.
Lebanon wants to become a digital hub for the Middle East, selling excess bandwidth to other countries.
Etisalat is keen on winning the contract to run state-owned Libyan Post, Telecommunication and Information Technology Co.
Ghoneim, who was appointed CEO in June 2012 is the latest STC senior management executive to quit.
The Qatari firm is in talks with around 9-10 banks about committed financing for a bid.
Richard Branson’s Virgin Group and GIC will be the joint largest shareholders in Virgin Mobile Middle East & Africa.
The telecoms operator posted a record revenue of $8.97 billion last year, up 2.2 per cent from 2011.
Hisham Akbar, who was also Zain’s chief operating officer, quit as of March 3.
Profit was boosted by higher revenue in Qatar, Indonesia and Iraq.
The company expects to finalise details of the initial public offering by the end of June.
All operations in which Qtel owns a controlling interest will rebranded under the new name.
The deal confirms Etisalat as FC Barcelona’s main sponsor in UAE, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Benin, Togo, Niger, Gabon and the Central African Republic.
Etisalat is talking to banks about a syndicated loan of up to $8 billion to finance the potential transaction.
Last year the operator wrote off the $827 million value of its Indian operation in its 2011 fourth-quarter results.
The telecoms operator made a fourth-quarter net profit of Dhs994 million, up from Dhs440 million in Q4 2011
The UAE telecoms firm is planning to finance a bid for Vivendi’s 53 per cent stake in Maroc Telecom.
The company enjoyed better than predicted profit growth last quarter of $501 million.
Jameel Abdullah al-Molhem is the latest in a line of senior executives to leave the company.
Simultaneous launches took place around the world including in Dubai.
Dr Nasser Marafih uses the World Economic Forum in Davos to highlight the issue.