Region enjoying rapid telecom growth

Muscat: A senior Oman Tele-communications Company (Omantel) official believes that direct foreign investment was pouring into the GCC region due to the recent liberalisation of the telecom sector.

Addressing the South Asia, Middle East and North Africa (Samena) Telecom Council summit that concluded in Jordan on Tuesday, Omantel Chief Executive Officer and the Board Chairman of Samena, Mohammad Bin Ali Al Wohaibi, said that the region is now witnessing huge growth in the tele-communications sector and subsequently foreign direct investments were pouring into the markets here.

He pointed out that market liberalisation in the entire region was taking place at a rapid pace and will continue at a fairly rapid pace in the foreseeable future.

"We have also seen competition take the front seat. In return, the entrenched presence of market competition and the consequential market expansion have dramatically created new opportunities for revenue oriented services and products," he said.

Samena Telecom Council, which represents several telecom companies in the region, discussed issues of interest in the sector.