H.H Sheikh Nasir Al-Muhammad Al-Sabah receives Qtel Chairman

During their visit to Kuwait, the Kuwaiti Prime Minister   H.H Sheikh Nasir Al-Muhammad Al-Sabah received Qtel, Wataniya Chairman H.E Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohammad Al-Thani, and the accompanying delegation that comprised Dr Nassir Marafih, Qtel and Wataniya International CEO, and senior level executives of Wataniya.

Her Highness Shikha Itimad Khaled Al-Amad AlSabah, Deputy Prime Minister and His Highness Al-Sheikh Fahad Jaber AlMbarak Al Hamad Al Sabah, Assistant Deputy, also attended the meeting that hosted Qtel and Al Wataniya management members during which plans for closer cooperation to strengthen and build upon the recent partnership between the two leading telecom operators.

The delegates also visited the Minister of telecommunication, H.E Shreideh Al Maoshargy, in a meeting that aimed at building on business relationships and creating ways of cooperation between the ministry and Wataniya, in addition to discussions on various technical developments.

Sheikh Abdullah said, “This visit is in line with our commitment to advance the development of our new business both here in Kuwait and in the other countries where we have stakes in other telco operations. Qtel's vision – to be in the top 20 telecommunications companies in the world by 2020 – is significantly closer with Wataniya now on-board. Wataniya is one of the leading MENA telecom operators with mobile operations in seven countries in the region.”

In January this year, Qtel also announced a deal with Singapore Technologies Telemedia Pte Ltd (“ST Telemedia”), a leading information-communications company with operations in the Asia-Pacific, the Americas and Europe, in which  Qtel has a 25% equity stake in ST Telemedia’s Asia Mobile Holdings Pte. Ltd.

In November 2006, Qtel took an equity stake in NavLink, a leading provider of managed data services to businesses in the Middle East joining US giant AT&T as the other major investor.

6/5/2007