The UAE’s Etisalat plans to spend EGP 8 billion (US$1.4 billion) in its Egyptian operation, Etisalat Misr, over the next three years to fund network expansion. The announcement coincides with the milestone the operator has amassed more than 14 million customers within its first three years of services.

Chairman of Etisalat, Mohammed Omran, said the firm invested EGP 8 billion in its first three years of operation and would invest the same for the coming three years. He added that Etisalat Misr achieved in two years in Egypt what it had planned to achieve in five years and that the group’s global footprint now operates in 18 markets serving 107 million subscribers.

“We were confident of our success in the Egyptian market for many reasons including the attractive investment environment, the population size and the nature of the telecommunication sector. We planned our entry into Egypt carefully to achieve the ultimate benefit for all stakeholders including the people of Egypt. The company’s achievements exceeded all expectations in terms of subscription rates and what was targeted in the bid conditions and feasibility studies in terms of network coverage,” Omran stated.

Etisalat Misr says it has the widest and strongest coverage of 3.5G in more than 80 per cent of the county, in addition to providing HSPA+ applications which offer high internet speeds to download and transfer data. The company was the only operator in Egypt to be awarded its own international gateway license, as well as having acquired EgyNet and Nile Online to provide fixed internet services.

Zain Group’s board of directors has appointed former Motorola executive Emad Makiya as chief executive officer of the group’s Iraq operation, effective June 15, 2010.

Makiya previously held the position of Middle East director of sales for Motorola Networks, where he oversaw the company’s deployment of 2G and 4G solutions to mobile operators in the region. Prior to that he was the general manager of Middle East and Africa Extreme Networks, as well as holding various positions at the NASA space science program, where he worked with distinguished companies of the likes of Lockheed Martin and Boeing. He holds a Bachelor Degree in Information and Computer Systems from the University of Houston, USA.

On being appointed CEO of Zain Iraq, the country’s largest operator, Makiya, whose professional specialty is data analysis and telecommunications, said he was determined to see the firm continue its impressive growth and play a significant role in reviving Iraq’s economy. Zain has already created more than 3,000 direct, and more than 50,000 indirect jobs.

In April the Zain Group announced the management of its Iraq operation would fall under the direct supervision of the group’s CEO, Nabeel Bin Salamah. The former Zain Iraq CEO, Ali Al Dahwi, had been appointed special advisor on Iraq for the Zain Group, until such time as a new CEO was selected.

The operator explained the move on the basis of the company’s long term development in Iraq and did not necessarily mean a change in the strategic direction set out by Al Dahwi. Zain Iraq counts a customer base of 11 million, the highest among the Zain’s Middle East operations.

Zain Group has announced senior management changes and appointments, following the successful conclusion of the sale of 15 African operations to India’s Bharti Airtel. The group now consists of eight operations in Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and Sudan, where its network reaches more than 31 million customers.

“As Zain enters a new era focusing on delivering its Middle East customers the latest mobile technologies and services, the company is adapting to meet these challenges. We believe that with these new appointments, the company will rise to the challenges, taking full advantage of the growth opportunities in our markets and deliver financial targets to the satisfaction of all stakeholders,” commented group CEO, Nabeel Bin Salamah.

The following key Zain Group appointments have been made: Barrak Al Sabeeh appointed chief operating officer; Haitham Al Khaled as chief technology officer, Khaled Al Hajeri as CEO Advisor for KSA Affairs, Ossama Matta as chief financial officer, Bashar Arafeh as chief commercial officer, Lynne Dorward as chief regulatory officer, Andrew Arowojolu as director of business development, Cem Yolcu as director of strategy and Ina Rabieh as director of human resources.            

On the country operational level, Zain has appointed Khalid Al Omar as CEO of its Kuwait operation and Emad Makiya as its CEO of Zain Iraq.

MTN Nigeria has secured US$2.15 billion in loan agreements with 17 banks to fund its future network expansion. The lenders comprise 15 Nigerian banks, Germany’s KfW Ipex and the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China.

The Nigerian banks are extending an NGN 250 billion five-year syndicated loan, while the German bank is providing a US$250 credit export facility for the Ericsson equipment, and the Chinese bank is offering US$200 million buyer’s credit facility for Huawei equipment.

The Nigerian banks are as follows: Access Bank, Afribank Nigeria, Bank PHB, Citibank Nigeria Limited, Diamond Bank, Ecobank Nigeria, First City Monument Bank, Fidelity Bank, First Bank of Nigeria, Guaranty Trust Bank, Stanbic IBTC Bank, Standard Chartered, Bank Nigeria, Union Bank of Nigeria, United Bank of Africa and Zenith Bank.

As of March 31 this year, MTN Nigeria had a subscriber base of more than 33 million.

Orascom Telecom has announced it has terminated discussions with South Africa’s MTN Group over the sale of certain operations and specifically Djezzy in Algeria, due to the failure to reach a deal.

“This follows the failure in talks between the MTN Group and Weather Investments SpA,” read Orascom’s short press statement, referring to its parent company.

If successful, the deal would have given MTN an entry into Orascom’s most lucrative market Algeria, as well as the populous country of Egypt. Orascom’s other operations are based in Tunisia, North Korea, Bangladesh, Pakistan, the Central African Republic, Burundi, Namibia and Zimbabwe.

On June 3, Orascom’s chairman Naguib Sawiris confirmed that MTN had offered US$7.8 billion to purchase Djezzy in Algeria, while analysts estimate the entire group to be valued between US$10-12.6 million.

Algeria’s government presented a major barrier to a successful deal having previously threatened to block negotiations between MTN and Orascom, saying it had the first right to bid in any proposed transaction of a company in Algeria before foreign parties. Additionally, there remains regulations which stipulate that any foreign company wishing to invest in the country must cede a 51 per cent shareholding to locals.