RAMALLAH, March 22 (Reuters) - Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said on Sunday that a deal for Kuwait's Mobile Telecommunications Co (Zain) to take a major stake in in Palestinian operator Palestine Telecommunication Company (PalTel) could be signed in the coming days.
PalTel operates in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip.
'There is advanced discussion in this regard and I hope that this issue will be concluded during the coming few days,' Fayyad told Reuters.
He said that 'much detailed discussion' was needed to conclude the merger and added that Palestinians would 'benefit greatly from the investment in this important and vital sector.'
Zain is Kuwait's biggest mobile operator, is spending billions to expand and provides services in 22 countries in the Middle East and Africa.
A second Palestinian mobile network, Wataniya, is expected to come into operation later this year. Wataniya is owned by Qatar Telecommunications Co and the Palestinian Authority's Palestinian Investment Fund.
(Reporting by Ali Sawafta, Writing by Ori Lewis; Editing by Richard Chang) (For blogs and links on Israeli politics and other Israeli and Palestinian news, go to http://blogs.reuters.com/axismundi) Keywords: PALESTINIANS PALTEL/MERGER (ori.lewis@reuters.com; +972 2 632 2202; Reuters Messaging: ori.lewis.reuters.com@reuters.net) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2009. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
PalTel operates in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip.
'There is advanced discussion in this regard and I hope that this issue will be concluded during the coming few days,' Fayyad told Reuters.
He said that 'much detailed discussion' was needed to conclude the merger and added that Palestinians would 'benefit greatly from the investment in this important and vital sector.'
Zain is Kuwait's biggest mobile operator, is spending billions to expand and provides services in 22 countries in the Middle East and Africa.
A second Palestinian mobile network, Wataniya, is expected to come into operation later this year. Wataniya is owned by Qatar Telecommunications Co and the Palestinian Authority's Palestinian Investment Fund.
(Reporting by Ali Sawafta, Writing by Ori Lewis; Editing by Richard Chang) (For blogs and links on Israeli politics and other Israeli and Palestinian news, go to http://blogs.reuters.com/axismundi) Keywords: PALESTINIANS PALTEL/MERGER (ori.lewis@reuters.com; +972 2 632 2202; Reuters Messaging: ori.lewis.reuters.com@reuters.net) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2009. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.