New analysis and research from the Arab Advisors Group reveals that Palestine’s Jawwal faces the most intense competition in its market from the four Israeli operators that cover the West Bank and Gaza Strip without a license.
Jordan ranks as the most competitive Arab market by choice, ranking second after the Palestinian Authority’s unique situation. Palestine and Sudan are the Arab World’s most privatized telecom markets: Total Private and Foreign proportionate share of 2003 revenues stood at 100% in Palestine and 72% in Sudan. Oman and Lebanon ranked at the other extreme with 100% full state ownership of the sector. This will change markedly in Oman with the second GSM license issued to Q Tel consortium this year.
“The weights assigned by the Arab Advisors Group add up to 100%, the perfect score a country can receive in terms of cellular competition. For the number of licensed and working operators, each figure was separately divided by the highest figure of that category, and subsequently multiplied by its weight.” Mr. Yaman Al Jundi, Arab Advisors Research Analyst who co authored the report with Ms Adila Bouleghraif said. “For example, in terms of licensed operators, Jordan has the highest figure in the region with four. Thus in the case of Kuwait, the Arab Advisors Group divided its current number of licensed operators with Jordan’s figure (two divided by four), resulting in a score of 0.5, in other words 50% of the highest regional figure. This number is then multiplied by 15% and added to Kuwait’s total score. The same technique was followed for the number of postpaid and prepaid plans.” Mr. Al Jundi explained.
The most competitive Arab Cellular market was Palestine’s (with a Cellular Competition Intensity Index score of 85%), followed by Jordan (67%), Morocco (59%), Yemen (55%), Tunisia (53%), Algeria (52%), Egypt (50%), Kuwait (44%), Lebanon (43%), Syria (42%), Bahrain (40%), Saudi Arabia (31%), Oman (23%), Qatar (20%), Sudan (19%) and the UAE (14%). (menareport.com)
© 2004 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
