UAE operator Etisalat has pulled out of its second major deal in as many weeks, announcing it will not proceed with plans to bid for a mobile licence in Syria. Although Etisalat had already qualified to participate in the bid for the country’s third licence, it noted in a statement yesterday that such a move “would not enable Etisalat to achieve its objectives regarding the technology and value it wishes to bring to the market nor for its investors and shareholders.” Ahmed bin Ali, Etisalat’s official spokesperson, added that the operator had “hoped that the terms and conditions for the license would have been more attractive.” The news comes less than two weeks after Etisalat announced it was abandoning plans to buy a 46 percent stake in rival Middle Eastern group Zain, citing – among other things – “political unrest in the region.”

However, Etisalat’s withdrawal from the Syrian bid still leaves a number of other big names in the frame, including France Telecom, Qtel, Saudi Telecom Company (STC), and Turkcell, which have all prequalified to take part in the auction process. According to Wireless Intelligence data, the Syrian mobile market is currently a duopoly led by Syriatel, which had 6 million connections at the end of last year, followed by rival MTN on 4.9 million. However, total mobile penetration in the country is just 53 percent, making it an attractive prospect for a new market entrant.