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Saudi Picks Seven to Compete for Third GSM Licence | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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RIYADH (AFP) -Saudi telecom authorities have chosen seven of nine firms who tendered for the kingdom’s third mobile phone licence for further study and submission to the cabinet.

The seven bidders are a mix of local and regional firms, including MTC and Partners Consortium, led by MTC of Kuwait, and Oger Telecom Consortium, headed by the Oger Telecom group belonging to the Hariri family of Lebanon.

In a statement on Saturday, the Communication and Information Technology Commission said an initial evaluation meant that tenders from the seven would be opened in public on March 24.

Final evaluation of the financial proposals would go to the commission directors, after which the Saudi cabinet would award the licence to the successful bidder.

The other firms were named as Samawat Consortium, Kingdom Turkcell Consortium, Tawasul Consortium, MTN Saudi Arabia Consortium, and Consortium Abdullah Abdulaziz Al-Rajhi Reliance Communications.