MEED Middle East Economic Digest articles from July 2006

MEED Middle East Economic Digest archives from July 2006

New ways of the dragon.(comment)
July 7, 2006... Ten years ago. Tilman Walterfang, the director of a German cement company, became fascinated by an employee's story of sunken treasure off his native island of Belitung, near Borneo. Walterfang flew out to Indonesia. and the trip changed his...

On the record.(denial of links with Al-Qaeda)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... "The statement made by Osama has nothing to do with us... We have no connection with him. No-one has the right to dictate what we should do" Shaikh Hassan Daher Aweys, leader of Somalia's Islamic Courts Union, denies any affiliation with...

Looking back.(peace plan in northern Iraq)(Bahrain's and Qatar on the road to peace)(Western Sahara can have autonomy within Morocco)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... 8 July 1966 Iraqi Prime Minister Abdel Rahman al-Bazzaz announces a 12-point peace plan to end five years of civil war in northern Iraq between Kurdish insurgents and government troops 5 July 1991 Bahrain's Crown Prince Shaikh Hamad bin Isa...

Tel Aviv gets tough: ministers targeted as the Palestinian Authority faces reprisals for the kidnapped Israeli soldier.(Gaza/West Bank)
July 7, 2006... Tel Aviv has announced an ominous hardening of its policy towards the Palestinian Authority as the crisis deepens over the kidnapping of a 19-year-old Israeli soldier. Israel's security cabinet on 5 July ordered the army to begin a long...

Insurgency continues in Al-Maliki's absence.(kidnappings on the rise)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... Baghdad announced on 1 July a review of its three-week security crackdown as insurgents stepped up their campaign against the new Iraqi government, with the kidnapping of two senior political figures within four days. On 1 July, Taiseer...

Peace collapse follows Khartoum intransigence.(SUDAN)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... The internationally-backed Darfur peace deal between Khartoum and rebel factions looked to have collapsed in early July, after calls to amend the agreement were rejected by the Sudanese government. On 4 July, rebels from Darfur launched an...

Bin Laden releases new message: 3 July.(NEWS DIGEST on MEED.com this week)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... A new recording believed to be by Osama bin Laden is posted on an Islamic website. The 19-minute-long message shows a still image of Bin Laden as he praises Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi, the Al-Qaeda in Iraq leader killed in a US air strike on 8 June....

Reformists take lead in Kuwaiti poll: 3 July.(NEWS DIGEST on MEED.com this week)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... Reformers take two-thirds of the seats in Kuwait's National Assembly following elections on 29 June. Pro-reform candidates, including Islamists and liberals, win 36 seats out of 50. Women who were allowed to stand and vote in the elections for...

Yemeni opposition names presidential candidate: 3 July.(NEWS DIGEST on MEED.com this week)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... Opposition parties nominate Faisal Shamlan as their candidate in Yemen's presidential elections. Shamlan acted as the minister for infrastructure and oil in the former South Yemen government. The opposition group consists of the Islamist Islah...

Saddam's daughter is royal guest, Jordan says: 3 July.(NEWS DIGEST on MEED.com this week)
July 7, 2006... Jordan announces that Saddam Hussain's daughter Raghad and her children are guests of the royal family. A day earlier Raghad Hussain and her mother Sajida appear alongside Al-Qaeda members and former Baathists on a "wanted" list released by...

Druze rivals clash in Lebanon: 4 July.(NEWS DIGEST on MEED.com this week)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... Clashes between rival Druze groups in Lebanon leave one person dead and five wounded. Fighting breaks out overnight between supporters of the pro-Syrian former minister Wiam Wahhab and the anti-Syrian politician Walid Jumblatt over political...

EU appoints ambassador to Arab League: 4 July.(NEWS DIGEST on MEED.com this week)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... The EU names its first ambassador to the Arab League. Klaus Ebermann, head of the European Commission's delegation in Egypt, will be responsible for the EU's relations with the League.

Yemen to produce nuclear power: 5 July.(NEWS DIGEST on MEED.com this week)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... President Saleh says Aden will seek to produce nuclear power for civilian use as he registered his candidacy for the upcoming presidential elections. Saleh is the first candidate to register with the parliament.

Al-Maliki demands new inquiry into rape: 5 July.(NEWS DIGEST on MEED.com this week)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki demands an independent inquiry into the rape and murder of a woman by US troops in March. Three members of the woman's family were also killed. Former US soldier Steven Green has been charged over the...

Somali Islamists kill football fans: 5 July.(NEWS DIGEST on MEED.com this week)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... Islamist militias kill two people watching a World Cup football match at a cinema in the town of Dhuusa Marreeb in central Somalia after the Islamic Courts Union introduces a ban on the broadcast under sharia law.

Trade routes: Chinese companies are flooding into the Gulf, while local investors have set their sights on the vast Chinese market.(Cover story)(Statistical table)
July 7, 2006... The mountain trails and ocean routes of the Silk Road once stretched from Hangzhou to the tin mines of Cornwall. For several hundred years, the Middle East was an integral part of this vast trade network, and Arab countries dine out on the...

A turbulent ride ahead: the results of Kuwait's parliamentary elections could signify a deterioration in the already rocky government-parliament relationship.(briefing: Kuwaiti elections)
July 7, 2006... The outcome of Kuwait's National Assembly (parliament) elections on 29 June was described as a victory for reformists, a triumph for Islamists and a defeat for women. Whatever its description, the exercise has shown that the local political...

Help where it's needed: FEMIP may be undecided about its future structure but it is bent on continuing to boost private enterprise in the Mediterranean rim, especially among SMEs.(Facility for Euro-Mediterranean Investment & Partnership)(small and medium-sized companies)
July 7, 2006... Mediterranean rim economies are growing fast but not fast enough, according to the Facility for Euro-Mediterranean Investment & Partnership (FEMIP). "The present 5 per cent growth for the Mediterranean partner countries is OK," says European...

Nine in line for Nuayyim: second LSTK contract on field development.(SAUDI ARABIA)
July 7, 2006... Saudi Aramco has prequalified nine international companies for the second lump-sum turnkey (LSTK) contract on the Nuayyim oil field development project. The tender for the gas-oil separation plant (GOSP) package is due to be issued on 19 July,...

Halliburton gets KOC work.(kuwait)(Kuwait Oil Company)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... The US' Halliburton has won a landmark contract to provide exploration and development consultancy services to upstream operator Kuwait Oil Company (KOC). The deal is the first of its kind in the state where the contractor will act in...

KOC unveils new projects.(Kuwait Oil Company KSC)(Statistical table)
July 7, 2006... State upstream operator Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) has revealed details of new projects it plans to tender over the next 12 months. The list includes several major schemes covering new pipelines, electricity transmission and distribution systems...

SRAK drills first well in Isharat 1.(South Rub al-Khali Company)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... Al-Khobar-based South Rub al-Khali Company (SRAK) announced on 6 July the spudding of the first well wildcat/exploration well at its contract area in the Rub al-Khali (Empty Quarter) basin. The well will be drilled at Isharat 1 in block 6 to a...

Pars contract heralds rise of Ahmadinejad's alma mater.(South Pars 15-16 to be developed by Khatam ul-Anbia)
July 7, 2006... Khatam ul-Anbia (Ghorb), the engineering subsidiary of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), has signed the $2,300 million contract to develop South Pars phases 15-16. The award underlines the rise of Ghorb as a major force in the...

Prices edge up again.(OIL ROUND-UP)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... Oil prices rose slightly in the first week of July; on further global tension with Iran, an unexpected signal of military defiance from North Korea and a gasoline stock fall ahead of the US Independence Day holiday Spot Brent was trading at...

Shale sale moves forward.(JORDAN)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... The Energy & Mineral Resources Ministry aims to sign memorandums of understanding (MoUs) by early September with three companies to carry out feasibility studies into surface oil shale deposits in the Al-Lajoun block in the west. The ministry...

Investor sought for Zarqa.(expansion of crude oil refinery)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... The Energy & Mineral Resources Ministry is looking to attract a strategic investor by the fourth quarter of 2006 for the estimated $700 million modernisation and expansion of the kingdom's sole crude oil refinery at Zarqa (MEED 26:5:06). ...

Refinery takes shape.(petroleum refinery at Port Sudan)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... Rome-based APS Engineering Company is carrying out a combined front-end engineering and design (FEED) and project management consultancy (PMC) contract covering the construction of a new refinery at Port Sudan (MEED 2:9:05). Estimated to cost...

Gas flows from In Amenas.(ALGERIA)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... The UK's BP announced q late June the first production of gas from the In Amenas field. Output from the field is expected to reach 850 million cubic feet a day and 50,000-60,000 barrels a day of condensates by early September, says BP. The In...

Kala Naft signs $93.5 million drill system.(IRAN)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... Oil Ministry subsidiary Kala Nail has signed a $93.5 million contract with a European consortium for the supply of equipment, including four drilling systems. The European Drilling Rig Alliance (EDRA), comprises Italy's Drillmec and Wirth and...

Sinopec signs up for Garmsar exploration.(IRAN)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... China's Sinopec has signed an exploration and development agreement with National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) for the Garmsar block southeast of Tehran, The contract calls for the drilling of three appraisal wells and two exploration wells and...

Atsco signs monitoring package.(KUWAIT)(Almeer Technical Services Company)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... The local Almeer Technical Services Company (Atsco) has signed a KD 12.3 million ($42.4 million) contract to provide corrosion and scale monitoring and install an inhibitor injection package on gathering centre (GC) 14 in the southeast. The...

Bids in for Mukhaizna.(OMAN)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... Three companies are understood to have submitted technical bids by 30 June for the $250 million-350 million engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract on the Mukhaizna enhanced oil recovery project. The bidders are UAE-based...

Bids in for QP main oil line.(QATAR)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... Bids were submitted on 2 July to Qatar Petroleum (QP) for the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract to build the Umm Bab-Mesaieed main oil line (MOL). The bidders include Turkey's Tekfen, Contracting & Trading Company (CAT)...

Belleli to build new Yanbu tanks.(SAUDI ARABIA)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... The local Arabtank Terminals, part of Dubai-based Horizontal Terminals, announced on 1 July the award of a design and build contract to Italy's Belleli Energy to expand its oil products storage facility and export terminal at Yanbu on the Red...

More gas discovered in Eastern Province.(SAUDI ARABIA)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... Petroleum & Mineral Resources Minister All Naimi announced on 4 July the discovery of yet another new gas field in the Eastern Province, The discovery is located 50 kilometres south of the world's largest onshore field, Ghawar. Initial flows...

Tender due for Marib plant.(YEMEN)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... Yemen LNG (YLNG) is due to issue a tender in late July for an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract covering the construction of a gas processing plant to provide feedstock for the grassroots liquefied natural gas (LNG)...

Award nears for Nasiriyah refinery study.(IRAQ)
July 7, 2006... The Oil Ministry has started technical bid evaluation for the feasibility study and front-end engineering and design (FEED) contract on its proposed 300,000-barrel-a-day (b/d) grassroots crude oil refinery near Nasiriyah in the south. Nine...

Tender due for Khursaniyah ponds.(SAUDI ARABIA)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... Saudi Aramco has invited companies to submit pre-qualifications by 26 July for a lump-sum procure and build (LSPB) contract to construct evaporation ponds and related facilities to serve the Khursaniyah oil field project in the Eastern...

Prices in for OAG package.(UAE)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... Evaluation of commercial bids is under way at Abu Dhabi Gas Industries Company (Gasco) for package 3 on the offshore associated gas (OAG) project in the emirate. Five companies submitted bids in mid-June for the engineering, procurement and...

Korean consortium signs up for Sohar aromatics EPC: LG and GS take on Aromatics Oman lump-sum turnkey work.(OMAN)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... A South Korean consortium of LG International and GS Engineering & Construction signed on 2 July the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract to build the Sohar aromatics complex planned by Aromatics Oman (AOL--MEED 14:11:05)....

PMC on board for GAE.(UAE)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... Australia's WorleyParsons has been awarded the contract to provide project management consultancy (PMC) services to Abu Dhabi Oil Refining Company (Takreer) for its planned world-scale aromatics complex at Ruwais. Commercial bids for the...

Contractors gear up for Kayan.(SAUDI ARABIA)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... Four international contractors are understood to be preparing to submit technical bids by 25 August for the ethylene oxide/ ethylene glycol (EO/EG) package at the Jubail petrochemicals complex, planned by Saudi Kayan Petrochemical Company. ...

Sabic buys more Ibn Zahr.(SAUDI ARABIA)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic) completed on 3 July the purchase of the 10 per cent shareholding of Finland's Neste in Saudi European Petrochemical Company (Ibn Zahr), taking its stake to 80 per cent. Arab Petroleum Investments...

Kuwait Dynamics wins township job.(KUWAIT)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... Kuwait Dynamics has been awarded the contract, worth KD 19 million ($66 million), to build houses and associated infrastructure on block 2 of the Saad al-Abdullah township project. The contractor was low bidder for the work when bids were...

Tender out for Jubail berths.(SAUDI ARABIA)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... Prequalified contractors have been invited to submit bids by 20 August for a procurement and construction contract covering three new petrochemical berths at King Fahd Industrial port at Jubail Industrial City. The project is valued at about SR...

Tenders due for second Anoud tower.(Designs reviewed by Princess Al-Anoud bint Abdulaziz al-Jalawi Charity Organisation)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... The Princess Al-Anoud bint Abdulaziz al-Jalawi Charity Organisation is reviewing designs for the construction of a second Anoud tower in Riyadh. The project will be located adjacent to the first tower on King Fahd street. The scope of works...

Marina Residence design work let.(UAE)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... The UK's Broadway Malayan has been appointed as design consultant on the Marina Residence, part of the multibillion-dollar Raha Beach development in Abu Dhabi, planned by local real estate developer ALDAR Properties, The Marina Residence will...

Jumeirah Beach Club to be redeveloped.(UAE)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... Local hotel operator Jumeirah, part of Dubai Holding, plans to redevelop the Jumeirah Beach Club, previously known as the Hilton Beach Club, The property will close in January and will reopen in late 2007 as a 14t suite resort that will include...

Lol issued for Ghobash tower.(UAE)(SEIDCO General Contracting Company)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... The local Seidco General Contracting has received a letter of intent (Lob worth an estimated AED 60 million ($16 million) for the Ghobash office tower project in the tourist club area of Abu Dhabi. The 20-storey tower will have a built-up area...

BFH residential project launched: $450 million scheme to be completed in 2009.(BAHRAIN)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... Kuwait-based Gulf Holding Company (GHC) is planning a $450 million residential complex on the Bahrain Financial Harbour (BFH), being developed off the north coast of Manama by locally based Gulf Finance House (GFH). Called Villamar at the...

Oger goes Churchillian.(UAE)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... Deyaar Development, the real estate subsidiary of Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB), has awarded Oger Dubai, the local subsidiary of Saudi Oger, the contract to build the Churchill twin-tower development in Business Bay. Work is scheduled to be...

ADNH takes a slice of Saadiyat.(UAE)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... Abu Dhabi National Hotels (ADNH) is to invest AED 700 million ($190.6 million) in the Saadiyat island development. ADNH has bought an 75,000-square-metre plot from Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC) in the Saadiyat beach district,...

R Holdings unveils tower.(UAE)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... The local R Holdings announced on 2 July its new Lavender Tower project in its planned Emirates City development in Ajman. The AED 260 million ($71 million) residential tower will have 40 storeys comprising one, two and three-bedroom...

Pilers picked for JLT business centre.(UAE)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... Local real estate developer Al-Fajer Properties has awarded the local/Swiss Arabian Forasol the AED 55 million ($14.9 million) enabling works contract on its estimated AED 2,000 million ($544 million) five-tower development within Jumeirah Lake...

Brazilians take Oran airport work.(ALGERIA)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... The Public Works Ministry has awarded Brazil's Andrade Gutierrez an estimated AD 2,200 million ($30 million) contract to build a second runway at Oran's Es-Senia airport in the west, The 20-month contract centres on the construction of a...

Call for metro operators.(applications invited for operation of Algiers Metro)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... Entreprise du Metro d'Alger has invited firms to submit prequalification applications by 1 August for the contract to operate and maintain the proposed Algiers Metro. A tender is scheduled to be issued in September, Line 1 of the metro project,...

Thales secures fare contract.(UAE)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... The UK's Thales Group has been selected by the Dubai Rapid Link (DURL) consortium to provide a secure fare collection system for the Dubai Metro. Under the terms of the agreement, Thales will equip all the stations with access gates, ticket...

Jeddah airport moves up a gear: pre-bid meeting on $1.1bn project due on 8 July.
July 7, 2006... The General Authority for Civil Aviation (GACA) has invited eight international firms to submit technical and commercial bids by mid September for the contract to provide project and construction management (PCM) services on the expansion of...

Port project fast-tracked.(proposals invited for new container terminal port)
July 7, 2006... The government is preparing to invite international operators to submit expressions of interest (Eols) in July for a new container terminal port concession at the proposed greenfield deepwater port at Enfidha. Tendering on the development had...

Airport prequals invited.(EGYPT)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... Egyptian Airports Company, a subsidiary of Egyptian Holding Company for Airports & Air Navigation, has invited contractors to submit prequalification applications by 4 August for the contract to modernise the Borg el-Arab International Airport,...

Seeb, Salalah project managers appointed.(OMAN)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... The Transport & Communications Ministry has awarded National Engineering Services of Pakistan (Nespak) with France's Aeroports de Paris (AdP) the contract to provide project management services on the expansion of Seeb International Airport and...

Polysius to supply cement plant: kingdom's cement activity heats up.(Saudi Arabia)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... Germany's Polysius has been awarded the equipment supply contract for the construction of a greenfield cement plant located at Jabal Farasan, about 100 kilometres north of Jeddah. The estimated SR 940 million ($250 million) project is due for...

Oena cements Aswan plans.(EGYPT)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... Misr Cement Company (Qena) is pressing ahead with plans to build a greenfield cement plant in Aswan. The project is one of four new plants to which the government awarded licences in 2005. Qena awarded in mid-June the estimated E 570...

Six in for Falcon Cement.(BAHRAIN)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... The local Falcon Cement Company has received bids from six international companies for the lump-sum turnkey (LSTK) contract to build a new greenfield cement plant in the Hafeera industrial area. The bidders include China's Sinoma International,...

Spanish scoop canal work.(MOROCCO)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... Befesa, a subsidiary of Spain's Abengoa, has been awarded an estimated $20 million contract to build a canal to serve the phosphoric acid production plants at Jorf Lasfar on the Atlantic coast, The project calls for the construction of a canal...

Nile Cement plans greenfield cement plant.(SUDAN)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... The local Nile Cement Company (NCC) has invited companies to submit bids by the end of July for the equipment supply contract on a greenfield cement plant near Rabak. Located about 30 kilometres from its existing facility, the new plant will...

Chinese take Cemex grinding plant.(UAE)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... China National Building Materials Equipment Corporation (CBMEC), a subsidiary of Sinoma International, has been awarded the estimated AED 185 million ($50 million) contract to build a cement and slag grinding facility in Dubai. The plant will...

Snasco plans Sharjah industrial development.(UAE)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... Saudi-based real estate company Snasco plans to develop a AED 1,500 million ($408 million) commercial and industrial cluster in the Emirate of Sharjah. Known as Sharjah Investment Park (SIP), the project will be located on 2.9 million square...

Mitsubishi wins substation job.(KUWAIT)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... Japan's Mitsubishi Electric Corporation has been selected for the contract, worth KD 19.6 million ($68 million), to build the Qurain W 300/132/11-kV substation. Mitsubishi was low bidder for the contract when bids were submitted late last year....

Bids in for refinery cogeneration plant.(OMAN)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... Prices have been opened for the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract to build a 52-MW cogeneration power plant at the Mina al-Fahal refinery, Iran's Hirbodan is low bidder at RO 59.4 million ($154 million) followed by...

Shadeed powers on.(Shaheed Iron & Steel invites bids for erecting a substation)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... The local Shadeed Iron & Steel has invited bids by 15 July for the turnkey contract to build a 220/33/6.6-kV substation to serve its 1.5 million-tonne-a-year integrated steel complex at Sohar. Prequalifiers include France's Areva T&D, the...

Kahramaa contracts awarded.(Qatar General Electricity & Water Company awards power and distribution contracts)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... Qatar General Electricity & Water Company (Kahramaa) has awarded contracts worth more than QR 1,000 million ($274.7 million) aimed at upgrading the state's power and water distribution network, The largest contract, valued at QR 738.4 million...

RFP out for Disi conveyor project: six line up for $600 million 25-year BOT.(request for proposals)(Disi Mudawarra-Amman w)(build-operate-transfer)
July 7, 2006... The request for proposals (RFP) has been issued for the 25-year build-operate-transfer (BOT) contract to develop the Disi Mudawarra-Amman water conveyor project. Six international and local groups have been invited to submit technical and...

SembCorp signs up for Fujairah IWPP.(Fujairah independent water and power project)
July 7, 2006... The 12-month process to select a foreign developer on the Fujairah independent water and power project (IWPP) has come to an end after Singapore's SembCorp Industries announced on 5 July that its wholly-owned subsidiary SembCorp Utilities had...

NCC wins Al-Jouf work.(SAUDI ARABIA)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... The local National Contracting Company (NCC) has won the SR 247 million ($66 million) contract to expand the crude-fired AI-Jouf power plant, near the Jordanian border. NCC was widely expected to win the work after submitting the lowest bid...

Areva wins Al-Kudmi substations.(France secures Saudi Arabia power contracts)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... France's Areva T&D has signed a contract worth SR 243 million ($65 million) to supply and install a new 380/115kV bulk supply point (BSP) substation at Al-Kudmi. Areva submitted the lowest bid for the 30-month contract earlier in the year. The...

SEC invites bids for Tihama expansion.(Tihama power plant in Saudi Arabia)(Saudi Electricity Company )(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) has issued a tender for the expansion of the Tihama power plant, on the Red Sea coast south of Jeddah. Three local contractors--National Contracting Company (NCC), AI-Toukhi Contracting and Arabian Bemco...

Sixco scoops Sharjah sewerage.(Six Construct and Sanotec bag contract)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... A joint venture of Belgium's Six Construct and its sister company Sanotec has received a letter of award for the main construction package on phase 7 of the Sharjah sewage treatment plant programme. Valued at AED 315 million ($86 million), the...

DCA invites PQs for World sewerage.(Department of Civil Aviation)(prequalification applications)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... Dubai's Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) has invited contractors to submit prequalification applications by 10 July for the phase 1 stormwater drainage and sewerage system project at its Dubai World Central airport development in Jebel All,...

Etisalat scoops third GSM licence: UAE-based operator offers more than $500 million more than closest rival.(Emirates Telecommunications Corporation)(United Arab Emirates)(Global System for Mobile Communications)
July 7, 2006... A consortium led by UAE-based Emirates Telecommunications Corporation (Etisalat) has been awarded the country's third GSM licence after submitting the highest bid of E 16,700 million [pounds sterling] ($2,900 million) in a public auction on 4...

CITC to start licence bidding process.(Communications and Information Technology Commission)
July 7, 2006... Telecoms regulator the Communications & Information Technology Commission (CITC), has issued two public notices inviting interested parties to comment on the bidding process for the new mobile and fixed-line licence issue. The public notice...

Unitel back in the running for GSM licence.(House of Integrated Technology & Systems and Kuwait Finance & Investment Company acquire stakes in Unitel)(Global System for Mobile Communications)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... Saudi Arabia's House of Integrated Technology & Systems (HITS) and Kuwait Finance & Investment Company acquired in early July 25 per cent and 12 per cent stakes respectively in the local/ Chinese Unitel, in a combined deal thought to worth more...

Saudi Telecom, Mobily modernise GSM networks.(SAUDI ARABIA)(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... Sweden's Ericsson, Finland's Nokia, and China's Huawei have each won multi-million-dollar contracts to upgrade the GSM networks of the kingdom's two mobile operators, Saudi Telecom Company and Mobily. The Ericsson and Huawei contracts were...

Consultation issued on third mobile operator.(Telecommunications Regulatory Authority )(Brief article)
July 7, 2006... The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) has issued a consultation document on the possible licensing of a third mobile network operator. Interested parties are invited to respond by 3 August. A key aspect of the consultation is...