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Saudi Arabia: CITC Announces Bid for 2 MVNO Licenses

Saudi Arabia: CITC Announces Bid for 2 MVNO Licenses
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Saudi Arabia: CITC Announces Bid for 2 MVNO Licenses

Saudi Arabia: CITC Announces Bid for 2 MVNO Licenses

Saudi Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC) announced the issuance of a bid to allow new mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) to provide services in Saudi Arabia.

CITC continues to develop and improve the telecom market in the Kingdom by encouraging the provisioning of MVNO services and making amendments and improvements to its regulations.

The Commission has prepared a Request for Applications document for Licensing of Mobile Virtual Network Operator Services in Saudi Arabia for the purpose of issuing two licenses.

Since 2014, mobile telecommunications services in the Kingdom are offered by Saudi Telecommunications Company (STC) Etihad Etisalat Company (Mobily) and Mobile Telecommunications Company (MTC) Saudi Arabia (Zain).

Two other operator services were licensed in 2014 including Virgin Mobile Saudi consortium (Virgin) and Etihad Jawraa for Telecom and Information Technology Company (Lebara).

The Commission is authorized to encourage reliance on market forces to provide telecommunications and information technology services, and encourage investment in its services, equipment, and provide them at affordable prices and high quality in all regions.

CITC governor Mohammed al-Tamimi revealed that offering the two licenses should boost investment opportunities in the sector, support entrepreneurship, and enhance the content industry.

Tamimi emphasized that the Saudi telecommunications and information technology sector is vital and keeps pace with the developments of the industry.

He stressed that this step comes in line with the Commission’s approach to enhance the investment environment for the telecommunications services market in the Kingdom.

CITC announced the licensing conditions and process and called on interested parties to obtain their request for application (RFA)

Potential applicants may submit any questions they have concerning the RFA by no later than using the communication protocol, and the Commission will publish the answers on its website.

Applications may be submitted under the procedure stated at any time prior to May 10, 2020, 3.00 PM Riyadh time.

Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) means a Licensed Service Provider that resells wholesale mobile network services which are leased or purchased from a Host FBP in order to provide retail services to the MVNO’s subscribers without spectrum assignment or radio access network.

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Gulf

UAE 'Probably' Won't Join Gaza Stabilization Force, Says Senior Official

Emirati presidential advisor Anwar Gargash (Reuters)
Emirati presidential advisor Anwar Gargash (Reuters)
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UAE 'Probably' Won't Join Gaza Stabilization Force, Says Senior Official

Emirati presidential advisor Anwar Gargash (Reuters)
Emirati presidential advisor Anwar Gargash (Reuters)

The United Arab Emirates is not planning to join the international stabilization force for Gaza because it lacks a clear framework, a senior official said on Monday.

"The UAE does not yet see a clear framework for the stability force, and under such circumstances will probably not participate in such a force," Emirati presidential advisor Anwar Gargash told the Abu Dhabi Strategic Debate forum.

The US-coordinated international force has been seen as likely to include troops from Egypt, Qatar and Türkiye, as well as the UAE, reported AFP.

Last week, US President Donald Trump said he expected the force to be in Gaza "very soon", as a fragile ceasefire holds following two years of war.

Gulf

Source to Asharq Al-Awsat: Jeddah Platform Still Open to Sudan’s Warring Parties

Sudanese refugees participate in an awareness-raising session at the Tine transit camp in Chad on November 8, 2025. (AFP)
Sudanese refugees participate in an awareness-raising session at the Tine transit camp in Chad on November 8, 2025. (AFP)
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Source to Asharq Al-Awsat: Jeddah Platform Still Open to Sudan’s Warring Parties

Sudanese refugees participate in an awareness-raising session at the Tine transit camp in Chad on November 8, 2025. (AFP)
Sudanese refugees participate in an awareness-raising session at the Tine transit camp in Chad on November 8, 2025. (AFP)

A source close to the negotiations carried out by members of the international quartet on Sudan said that efforts are ongoing to reach a ceasefire in the war-torn country. The quartet includes Saudi Arabia, the United States, Egypt and United Arab Emirates.

The quartet is also working on delivering humanitarian aid ahead of launching civilian dialogue aimed at reaching a permanent solution to the conflict.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat on condition of anonymity, the source said the quartet is currently proposing a three- to nine-month humanitarian truce during which humanitarian corridors can be opened to deliver aid to those in need. Agricultural production will also resume, allowing civilians to return to normal life.

Throughout this period, the quartet will contact the warring parties to reach an agreement on a permanent ceasefire, revealed the source.

Once reached, intra-civilian Sudanese dialogue will be held to agree on a constitution for the country and mechanisms to establish a parliament and government, as well as the executive agencies that organize the daily lives of the people across Sudan.

The Jeddah Platform still stands and is ready for dialogue with the warring parties, added the source, recalling a Sudanese government statement from a year ago that stressed commitment to it.

The platform was initially agreed to by the warring parties, it stressed.

The quartet is hoping that the parties will positively respond to its efforts, the source told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Moreover, it noted the massive efforts carried out by Saudi Arabia, individually and within the quartet, to reach a ceasefire, stemming from its keenness on Sudan’s unity and territorial integrity.

Before and during the war, the Kingdom has worked with all Sudanese parties to persuade them to work on developing their country and steer clear of disputes, culminating in the Jeddah Agreement that was signed in May 2023, it remarked.

Saudi Arabia has maintained three humanitarian programs in Sudan covering food security and medical assistance, as well as helping in protecting infrastructure.

On the crisis in el-Fasher and Darfur, the source said the Kingdom is offering aid through the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) and international organizations. It is also aiding Sudanese refugees in Chad and South Sudan.

Gulf

Saudi Navy Leads ‘Red Wave 8’ Drill with Wide Regional Participation

The Red Wave 8 drill kicked off at the King Faisal Naval Base on Sunday. (Saudi Defense Ministry)
The Red Wave 8 drill kicked off at the King Faisal Naval Base on Sunday. (Saudi Defense Ministry)
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Saudi Navy Leads ‘Red Wave 8’ Drill with Wide Regional Participation

The Red Wave 8 drill kicked off at the King Faisal Naval Base on Sunday. (Saudi Defense Ministry)
The Red Wave 8 drill kicked off at the King Faisal Naval Base on Sunday. (Saudi Defense Ministry)

The Royal Saudi Naval Forces, Royal Saudi Air Force and Border Guards launched on Sunday the “Red Wave 8” joint naval exercise at the King Faisal Naval Base in the Western Fleet.

Several armed forces from countries overlooking the Red Sea are taking part in the drill, including Sudan, Djibouti and Mauritania, as well as Pakistan.

The exercise is part of the joint military cooperation between them and efforts to protect vital waterways.

Military leaders from the participating countries attended the launch on Sunday. The drill will conclude on Thursday with field demonstrations that reflect the level of coordination and preparedness of the forces.

Commander of Saudi Arabia's Western Fleet Rear Admiral Mansour bin Saud Al-Juaid told Asharq Al-Awsat that the drill is part of a series of others carried out by the naval forces with the aim of raising combat readiness and developing capabilities.

He said the Red Sea was chosen for the exercise given its strategic depth and economic importance to regional countries.

The Red Sea is among the world’s most vital waterways and securing it is an Arab and international responsibility, he stressed.

The Red Wave 8 drill includes training in implementing tactical concepts, as well as cyberwarfare and combating attacks by speedboats. Forces will be trained in counter-terrorism; fighting piracy, smuggling and illegal migration; and protecting marine shipping lanes.

Al-Juaid said the Red Wave 8 drill reflects Saudi Arabia’s commitment to bolstering collective naval security through building joint capacities and unifying efforts in confronting any threats to waterways or vital infrastructure in the Red Sea, all in line with Saudi Vision 2030 that places regional security and marine stability as strategic priorities.