Chairman of the Board of the Saudi Telecommunication Company (Etisalat), Khaled Melhem, revealed that Etisalat recently awarded four international companies a tender to install 450,000 new telephone lines in the Kingdom. Melhem refrained from specifying the names of the companies involved.
In addition, Etisalat commissioned a number of local public works companies and cable manufacturing factories with providing support services for the project.
According to company sources, the number of phones lines in Saudi Arabia rose from 797,500 in 1999 to 1.02 million in 2000, while the number of mobile phones rose from 832,200 in 1999 to 1.6 million in 2000.
This past April, Etisalat posted a net profit of 2.4 billion Emirati dirhams ($6.5 Million), reflecting a 21.7 percent increase from the previous year. ― (MENA Report)
© 2001 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
