UAE-based operator Etisalat will bid for a stake in Morocco’s second-largest operator, Meditel, and is eyeing Middle Eastern opportunities, reports Reuters. “We are looking for opportunities in the Middle East and Africa, especially at this time there are some good assets,” Etisalat chairman Mohammed Hassan Omran told Reuters Television. “Assets are becoming cheap… we see them becoming more cheap in coming months.” Etisalat was one contender for a stake in Meditel, Omran confirmed. Portugal Telecom has reportedly appointed Morgan Stanley to sell its 32 percent stake in Meditel. “We are expecting [to get] Morocco… We are participating in the bid for Morocco… Meditel and we are working hard for Syria and Lebanon,” Omran said, without giving further details.

According to Wireless Intelligence, Meditel has a 33 percent market share of Morocco’s mobile sector, with 8.2 million subscribers. A successful Moroccan deal would see Etisalat expand further into Africa as it faces stiffer competition in its home market. Within Africa the operator has previously invested in Egypt, Nigeria, Sudan and Tanzania.