Pakistan is among those countries which are set to benefit from a partnership agreement between Abu Dhabi Group and Germany's Bertelsmann Arvato Mobile Middle East Group, which will market a full range of digital media services designed to dominate the areas of mobile and PC entertainment.
The Abu Dhabi Group, acting on behalf of its investors, will acquire a significant stake in AMES (Arvato Middle East Sales) for an undisclosed sum. The investment is part of Abu Dhabi Group's strategy to be an active investor in the high growth telecommunications industry.
According to a company media release, the Group follows a strategy, which often includes operational control of its investments, and is designed to complement its GSM and WiMax businesses in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Republic of Congo, and Uganda.
The Group's present mobile businesses operate under the umbrella of Warid Telecom International while its WiMax business in Pakistan is being launched by its subsidiary, Wateen Telecom.
Bertelsmann, as the world's third largest media company with approximately 100,000 employees, generating revenues of 19.3 billion euros in 2006, has made significant multi-million Euro investments in building digital media distribution platforms over the last four years.
Bertelsmann and The Abu Dhabi Group are utilising these digital media platforms to build within AMES a digital entertainment business capable of servicing more than 200 million customers.
AMES will offer customers across emerging markets unprecedented access to a world class digital entertainment offerings for their mobile phones, PC's and set top boxes.
The Abu Dhabi Group, one of the leading business groups in the United Arab Emirates, has interests in sectors including banking and financial services, hospitality, construction, telecommunications services, real estate and manufacturing.
The Group has been investing in Pakistan for many years and is today one of the largest foreign investors in the country. Furthering its international expansion in its target markets, WTI has acquired licenses in Congo Brazzaville and Uganda and is preparing to launch its operations in these two markets in the last quarter of 2007. Through its subsidiary Wateen Telecom, the Group also operates a 5,000 kms fiber optic backbone in Pakistan and is launching a Wimax service in addition to the Long Distance and International (LDI) service it offers today.
Commenting on the partnership, HH Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, Chairman of Warid Telecom International and representing the Abu Dhabi Group said: "Our vision is to evolve our businesses as market leaders wherever we operate. Our growth has been largely organic and we selectively choose our partners and form alliances to help realise our objectives: that our customers are the ultimate beneficiaries of the innovation and quality to which Warid Telecom International is committed. We have had a long relationship with the Bertelsmann Group and we believe that this partnership with Bertelsmann will further enhance our objectives".