Etisalat Interested In Iraq’s Fourth Mobile License – report

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The Wall Street Journal reported that the United Arab Emirates-based Emirates Telecommunications Corp. (ETISALAT.AD) is interested in Iraq‘s fourth license to operate mobile phones. “The Iraqi government has announced a fourth mobile license and we are interested in that,” Mohammad Omran, Etisalat’s chairman, told Dow Jones Newswires on the sidelines of an Arab communications meeting in Amman, Jordan, according to the daily. Omran also said that his company was interested in buying a stake in the third Iraqi mobile operator Korek in northern Iraq. “There were talks with Korek to acquire stake but we haven’t reached an agreement,” he said. The Baghdad government approved last month a fourth mobile license to operate in the country. It said the winning company, which will be selected through an open tender and operate throughout Iraq, is set to have a 65%-stake in the venture, while the remaining 35% will be owned by the Iraqi Communications Ministry. The Ministry is yet to announce a tender for the license. MH (S)/SR 1