The UAE Government will hold the same stake in any new telecom service provider in the UAE as is the case with Etisalat now.

This means the new telecom firms will have to pay royalty fees to the Federal Government.
This was made public after the first meeting of the newly constituted Supreme Committee overseeing the UAE's telecommunications sector held yesterday at the Presidential Court in Abu Dhabi.

The committee came into being with the issuing of Federal Decree No. 3 by President His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

At its meeting, the committee dclared that the future licensing of telecom service providers in the UAE will be regulated according to international standards.

Furthermore, all future licensing will follow the same system as that applied to Etisalat.

The committee's first meeting was presided over by Dr Mohammed Khalfan bin Kharbash, UAE Minister of State for Financial and Industrial Affairs.

The meeting was also attended by the two other members of the committee — Ahmed Mohammed Al Hamiari from the President's Office, and Ahmed Abdullah bin Byat from the Court of the Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

The meeting also discussed various issues concerned with its setting up, including the structure of the committee's office, its budget, board resolution and its initial processes and procedures.

The committee also noted that the decree setting up the Supreme Committee to oversee the telecommunications sector will have a very positive impact on this important sector of the national economy and also enhance and improve telecom services.

Apart from the Supreme Committee, the decree also envisages the setting up of a Monitoring Authority to monitor telecom services and ensure the smooth operation of the sector.