In the span of a single week, the Middle East has become the centre of some of the telecommunications industry's largest acquisition deals.
Along with Etisalat's US$10.5 billion (Dh38.56bn) bid for a 46 per cent stake in Kuwait's Zain, the Russian mobile operator VimpelCom and the Egyptian billionaire Naguib Sawiris agreed to combine their telecomms assets, including about half of Orascom Telecom, for $6.8bn in stock and cash.
If both deals are completed, the landscape of the region's telecoms sector would be changed drastically. Etisalat and VimpelCom would become two giant regional operators able to generate greater revenues through their economies of scale and purchasing power. Developments in the industry were anticipated by both Mr Sawiris and Mohammed Omran, the chairman of Etisalat. Both executives shared a keynote panel address last February at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona and offered differing views on the evolution of the telecoms sector. But as this past week's events have demonstrated, their views largely coincide.
Mr Sawiris noted how the telecoms industry would engage in a period of heavy consolidation, leaving only about five operators to run the global sector. Mr Omran's view was that to grow, an operator must expand its operations through acquisitions or licence purchases. Consolidation remained a hot topic yesterday at a telecoms conference in Dubai, since industry experts believe the sector is ripe for more acquisitions.
"As the industry matures … we will see changes in group portfolios that match better with their identities and enable them to make more money out of them," said Marc Aafjes, the director of corporate strategy and intelligence for Qatar Telecom. "If you look at consolidation and growth in the Middle East, it's still quite recent and there's still a lot of opportunities for new configurations." But Peter Kaliaropoulos, the chief executive of the Batelco Group, warned that while consolidation would centralise operations across a company, it would also slow down decision-making at the top.
"You really need to do your homework when it comes to a business case [in an acquisition]," Mr Kaliaropoulos said.
dgeorgecosh@thenational.ae
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Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
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The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Company%20Profile
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Visit Abu Dhabi culinary team's top Emirati restaurants in Abu Dhabi
Yadoo’s House Restaurant & Cafe
For the karak and Yoodo's house platter with includes eggs, balaleet, khamir and chebab bread.
Golden Dallah
For the cappuccino, luqaimat and aseeda.
Al Mrzab Restaurant
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Al Derwaza
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The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
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In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
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South Pole stats
Distance covered: 130km
Temperature: -50°C
Weight of equipment: 50kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 3,300
Terrain: Flat ice