Telecoms & ITC

Saudi expecting telecoms investment to reach $9.9bn by 2013

Saudi Arabia’s economy minister Khaled Al Gosaibi has said the kingdom forecasts telecoms investment to reach around SR37bn ($9.9bn) in 2013, the Associated Press has reported. Investments to enhance and develop the sector had reached SR22.3bn in 2009, and are expected to grow to SR50bn by 2015, he said.
Source: AMEInfo.com

Gulf states rank among top YouTube users, says du CEO Article

Gulf states Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE are among the biggest users globally of the video-sharing website YouTube, the CEO of the state-backed telco du said Monday. Ranked by usage figures per capita, the Gulf states are among the world’s most frequent users of the site, which attracts billions of daily views a day, Osman Sultan told delegates at the 4th Arabian Business Forum. “These are things we should consider in the evolution of our [technology],” he said, adding the Arab world had lagged behind in capitalizing on social networking. “We missed the industrial revolution. We did not invent any technology, and the more we go, the more we see that it would be difficult to catch up with [the Western world]. But maybe with this move to the digital era there is the possibility for this part of the world to catch up.” Around 36 percent of the UAE’s population is registered with Facebook. Saudi Arabia, the Gulf’s most populous state, boasts 1.5 million users, while 29 percent of Qatar’s residents subscribe to the site.
Source: ArabianBusiness.com

Nokia Siemens Networks forms Saudi JV

Nokia Siemens Networks, a leading global enabler of telecoms services, has partnered with Al Sarya Telecommunications Company and Belal Company, to establish a joint-venture company in Saudi Arabia. The aim of Nokia Siemens Networks Al Saudia is to develop local market opportunities in the telecommunication services sector by enabling operators to optimize their networks. “Creating this joint venture is an important step in our strategy to further grow our business in Saudi Arabia,” stated Dr Talal Al-Ghazzawi, chairman of Nokia Siemens Networks al Saudia Ltd. Under the terms of the joint-venture, NSN Saudi will be offering operators four distinct services:

“This is a major milestone for Nokia Siemens Networks as it looks to expand its footprint within Saudi Arabia where it has been working with all major operators. The new JV ensures operational efficiency and provides the right platform to provide our clients with world-class services. This strategic partnership should allow us to pursue new directions such as the possibility of offering multi-vendor services and will unlock fresh revenue streams,” added Jorg Erlemeier, head of Middle East region for Nokia Siemens Networks. The new venture will be led by Ali Damiri as the executive director. Ali brings with him over 25 years of international experience. Prior to this position, Ali was Head of Nokia Siemens Networks for Saudi, the Levant and Iran Sub-Region covering six countries. Together with the signing of this new venture, Nokia Siemens Networks al Saudia is hosting a Saudi Industry Seminar 2011, entitled: “Shaping the Communications Industry in the Kingdom.’
Source: TradeArabia News Service

UAE says only licensed firms can offer VoIP

The UAE telecoms regulator has said that only licensed operators can offer VoIP services in the country, Gulf News has reported. Currently, Etisalat, du and Star Communications are the only entities which are licensed to provide, retail VoIP services to subscribers in the UAE.
Source: AMEInfo.com