Emirates Telecommunications Corporation (Etisalat) has announced that its new partner in Africa is close to securing a deal with four Central Africa telecom operators.

The news follows confirmation just days earlier that the Corporation had entered into a six-nation strategic partnership with Atlantique Telecom, the West African telecoms operator.
The latest negotiations, expected to be concluded soon, will boost Atlantique Telecom’s total acquisitions in West and Central Africa to 10. Etisalat will manage the operations of each of the newly acquired networks through Atlantique Telecom.
On April 20 Etisalat announced that it had acquired a 50 per cent stake in Atlantique Telecom. The deal has been valued in excess of 100 million Euros and gives Etisalat a 10-year contract to manage six West African telecom carriers.
The countries and percentage investment in the operators are as follows: Benin 51 per cent; Burkina Faso 51 per cent; Cote D’Ivoire 17.34 per cent; Gabon 100 per cent; Niger 57.25 per cent; Togo 52.5 per cent.
The total estimated population of these countries is approximately 50 million. The addition of networks in densely populated Central Africa can be expected to substantially enlarge this potential market.
Obaid bin Mes’har, CEO of Etisalat International, said after signing the deal with Atlantique’s CEO Dossongui Koné that the corporation’s recent rapid expansion in parts of Africa reflected its readiness and ability to compete internationally.
“The emerging market conditions in Africa for telecom services represent prime opportunities for expansion,” Mes’har said: Mes’har also confirmed that Etisalat would continue to pursue further strategic partnerships in the Middle East, Africa and other areas.
The corporation is rapidly becoming a leading international player through its investments abroad. Its groundbreaking investment in the Etihad Etisalat consortium that led to the launch of Mobily and a multi-billion dollar Islamic funding exercise in Saudi Arabia, confirmed its ability to compete against other top players in international markets. Mes’har said:
Referring to the Atlantique partnership, Mes’har said: “This strategic alliance further complements Etisalat’s considerable international investments, which includes a significant stake in Etihad Etisalat in Saudi Arabia, in addition to the investment in the Kanartel consortium in Sudan.”
Through its blue-chip portfolio of international investments, strategic partnerships and key subsidiaries such as e-Marine with international operations, Etisalat has considerable reach. The investments include a significant interest in Thuraya, the global satellite-based telecom services provider, Qatar Telecom (Q-Tel) and in Africa Zanzibar Telecom (Zantel) and multiple investments in Sudan including the latest in the Kanartel consortium adding to its holding in Sudan Telecommunications Company (Sudatel).