Four operator groups have expressed interest in acquiring the 53 percent stake in Maroc Telecom currently held by French media group Vivendi, according to Reuters sources. Qatar Telecom (Qtel), UAE-based Etisalat, Saudi Telecom and South Africa’s MTN have all reportedly spoken to Vivendi’s investment advisors about acquiring the stake.

It is understood that Vivendi wants to sign a deal before the end of Q1 2013, although any the sale would need the approval of the Kingdom of Morocco which owns a 30 percent stake in the operator.

Qtel – which has previously been linked to the stake sale by the Financial Times – is apparently in the best position to secure the stake as it has the funds and the acquisition would fit into its current strategy. Saudi Telecom has looked at the Morrocan market before having previously considered buying number-two player Meditel.

Maroc Telecom is the country’s biggest operator, with around 17.4 million connections, compared with Meditel’s 11.4 million. It is Vivendi’s second highest contributor to earnings after French operator SFR but growth has slowed as competition has ramped up.

The sale of the Maroc Telecom stake could net Vivendi as much as EUR4 billion as it carries out a strategic review of its business. The company is working with Deutsche Bank and Rotshchild to find a buyer for its GVT fixed-lined business in Brazil and has also warned of “drastic” changes at SFR.