MTC Atheer a subsidiary of MTC Group is playing a pivotal role in the redevelopment of Iraqi mobile communications. The conference itself hopes to shed light on the new mobile license bid and requirements and as such is an important milestone in understanding the requirements of Iraq in the mobile arena.

MTC Atheer President Mr. Ali Al Dahwee will be giving a presentation on MTC Atheer’s achievements to date in Iraq as well as the aspirations to continue with these efforts in the future. Today MTC Atheer covers the biggest geographic area in Iraq starting from the Southern Region up to Baghdad. Unlike other mobile players in Iraq, MTC Atheer has met its license obligations to the fullest and has thus been granted permission to operate in regions other than the appointed ones it was given when the licensees came out. MTC Atheer hopes to continue its expansion into the Northern region thus becoming the only operator to cover Iraq end to end.

In fact MTC Atheer along with its 600 Iraqi employees has been able to provide high quality mobile services to over 600,000 people in Iraq, most of them being prepaid customers. MTC Atheer prides itself in the fact that it has a 100% Iraqi workforce and that it has been able to provide over 7000 indirect job opportunities by working with Iraqi suppliers and distributors in the regions it operates in.

MTC Atheer’s strength lies in its synergies between the MTC Group of companies. “We are able to use the facilities, talents, and resources of the group when needed and this has been a great help to us in rolling out services and in establishing roaming agreements so that we can provide the best possible and most needed communications to the Iraqi people,” explained Mr. Dahwee.

MTC Atheer is also very much a part of the Iraqi life and sees itself not only as a mobile operator but as a contributing entity in the social lives of the Iraqi young and old. MTC Atheer has spent over half a billion dollars to date on supporting education, culture and health sectors within Iraq. “We want to be a part of the future of Iraq in its finest forms and this does not end with the provision of the means of communication but goes further to the provision of a better way of life,” added Al Dhawee.

About MTC
Mobile Telecommunications Company (MTC) was founded in 1983 and is today one of the largest mobile operators in the Middle East and Africa, offering a plethora of world-class voice and data services to over 9.5 million customers spread across 18 countries – Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon and 13 countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

Listed on the Kuwait Stock Exchange, MTC’s market capitalization exceeded US$9 billion as at July 1, 2005. The shareholder base consists of 75% public and 25% by the Kuwaiti government and for the year ending December 31, 2004, consolidated revenues were KD 322.327 million (US$1.009 billion) and consolidated net income was KD 120.24 million (US$410 million).

MTC's corporate strategy can simply be summarized as "3x3x3", an ambitious, sustainable expansion strategy that will see MTC become a leading mobile and lifestyle services provider on the global stage by the end of the year 2011. Initiated in year 2002, it is this strategy that will make MTC a global player in three stages: regional, international and global, with each stage completed in three years, with an aim of reaching a subscriber base of 20 million. In essence, through acquisitions, partnerships and green-field opportunities, MTC aims to achieve in nine years what other companies have taken more than 27 years to achieve.

In addition to securing the best possible returns for shareholders cohesive with a high standard of corporate governance, MTC considers itself defined by a commitment to excellence in providing world-class mobile services and an ethos of corporate social responsibility in supporting communities, offering employment and creating business opportunities wherever it operates.

Facts on our operations (as of July 1, 2005):

Kuwait (branded as mtc-vodafone)

Notably distinct as the first mobile operator in the Middle East (1983), in September 2002, MTC entered into a Partner Network Agreement with Vodafone, the world's leading mobile community, creating mtc-vodafone Kuwait. The agreement allows MTC Kuwait customers to access their home services when roaming abroad on any of Vodafone’s networks and to access Vodafone’s global products and services. With a sound track record in providing world-class services, the operation has over 1.3 million subscribers, representing a 60% market share.

Jordan (Fastlink)

In January 2003, MTC acquired 91.6% of Fastlink in Jordan, taking MTC’s ownership to 96.6%. Fastlink is one of the best known brands in Jordan, holding a dominant market position with a 71% market share. It has continually broken new ground through the introduction of new products and services. It was the first Middle Eastern operator to launch MMS Services and offers an abundance of mobile data services and infotainment solutions to over 1.25 million customers.

Bahrain (mtc-vodafone)

MTC won the Bahrain license to develop the second GSM network in April 2003 and officially launched its services in December 2003, at the time, the fastest deployment in the Middle East. Known as mtc-vodafone, the operation is at the forefront of technological development in the Middle East. It pioneered the introduction of 3G and EDGE, offering high-speed data and multimedia services to its customers. Within 18 months of operation, it had gained over 135,000 subscribers representing a 20% market share.

Iraq (mtc atheer)

In December 2003, mtc atheer was licensed to install and operate a GSM network in the southern region of Iraq. In less than a year, the company succeeded in executing its initial objectives despite the security situation in Southern Iraq and has recently connected Baghdad. mtc atheer offers the highest standard of services and the most technologically advanced products to approximately 600,000 subscribers in Iraq. It has the widest reaching mobile telecommunications network in the country (2200km), and by September 2005, this will be expanded to offer a full GPRS network with a plethora of new services capable of supporting 1 million subscribers.

Lebanon (mtc touch)

On June 1, 2004, the Lebanese government handed over the management of one of the two mobile networks (MIC 2) to MTC, now known as mtc touch. The 4-year management contract will see mtc touch leveraging resources, expertise and know-how from different areas of the group and applying them to provide customers with cutting edge products and services. On taking over, the initial effort and focus was to re-brand the operation and upgrade the network through a new Intelligent Network (IN) that provides customers with a host of new services. The operation has in excess of 450,000 subscribers, representing a 50% market share. The agreement places MTC in the best possible position if the Lebanese government decides to privatize the assets after the management contract expires.

Africa (13 countries) (Celtel)

In May 2005, MTC acquired Celtel International, a Dutch communications network company with major interests in 13 sub-Saharan African countries, in one of the biggest telecom deals in the Middle East and Africa worth USD 3.36 billion. With over 6 million subscribers, Celtel enjoys a commanding position in the telephony market of sub-Saharan Africa. Celtel covers 13 countries – Burkina Faso, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Kenya, Malawi, Niger, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. The company’s motto is “Making life better”.

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