Wataniya Mobile has announced the launch of its network across the West Bank, claiming the event represents a “significant achievement for the people of Palestine.”
Wataniya Mobile is comprised of Qtel, Kuwait’s Wataniya Group and the Palestinian Investment Fund (PIF).
The chairman of Qtel and the Wataniya group, Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Saud al-Thani, attended the launch with other officials as well as the representative of the Middle East Diplomatic Quartet, Tony Blair.
Sheikh Abdullah said: “On behalf of the Qtel group and Wataniya, we are delighted to be here today to commemorate this very special occasion and moment for us all.”
“The Qtel group is committed to the Palestinian people and to playing a key role in the economic development of the country,” he said, adding, “The Palestinian telecommunications market has strong prospects for growth and will contribute to the wider growth of the economy, and with the launch of Wataniya Mobile, we are delighted to be able to provide the Palestinian people with a long-awaited choice of a new telecommunications provider.”
The chairman of the board of Wataniya Mobile and president of PIF, Mohammad Moustafa, said: “First and foremost, we would like to thank President Mahmoud Abbas for his continuous efforts in bringing this project to life and making it a reality.
“This is a proud moment for the PIF in its role as a co-founder of Wataniya Mobile in Palestine, and we are equally proud of our partnership with Qtel and Wataniya groups,” he said.
“Wataniya Mobile represents our country’s largest economic project since the establishment of the Palestinian Authority - both shareholders have invested already $140mn in licence fees and over $100mn in setting up the network, with further investments planned over a 10-year period,” he added.
Blair called Wataniya Mobile’s launch of commercial operations in the West Bank “an important milestone in the building of a prosperous and competitive Palestinian economy.”
“It shows that Palestine is open for business and real investments can deliver results,” he said, before reaffirming the Quartet’s commitment to establishing an independent and sovereign Palestinian state.
The chief executive officer of Wataniya Mobile, Allan Richardson, said: “The company currently employs over 250 professionals and eventually will provide more than 2,000 direct and indirect job opportunities for the Palestinians.”
$700mn planned
Mobile phone company Wataniya Palestine is to receive investment of $700mn over the next 10 years, Qtel chairman Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohamed Saud al-Thani said at the official launch of Wataniya Palestine in Ramallah. “We have been determined, since the start, to build a mobile network of the highest quality, based on our belief that the Palestinian telecoms market is promising and enjoys a high degree of growth,” he said.
Mohamed Mustafa, head of the Wataniya Palestine board, said the firm was still awaiting the release of 1MHz of frequencies from Israel.
The establishment of Wataniya, the second mobile operator in the West Bank, has been backed by the World Bank and the US government. |
