Etisalat withdraws from Syria licence bid

News Wireless Syrian Arab Republic 31 MRT 2011
Etisalat withdraws from Syria licence bid
UAE-based operator Etisalat has abandoned plans to bid for Syria's third mobile licence. An Etisalat statement confirmed the company was not satisfied with the terms of the tender and had decided to withdraw. Etisalat is unhappy with the 25 percent revenue share demanded by Syria, the Middle East Economic Digest reported, citing anonymous sources close to the deal. The bid would have been worth a minimum of USD 122 million. The Syrian government has said five bidders - Etisalat, France Telecom, Qatar Telecom, Turkcell and Saudi Telecom - qualified for the licence auction. Bids are due 12 April.

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