Etisalat reported to have secured Zain acquisition funding

It has been suggested that Etisalat has secured a US$12 billion loan to finance its acquisition of a 46 per cent stake in Zain. Research house Frost & Sullivan believes that this move will effectively entrench Etisalat as the leading Middle East operator in terms of operational size and footprint. It is also indicative of a need for operators to act swiftly to take advantage of low-hanging growth opportunities while they are in reach.