Syria awards third mobile telecoms licence to Wafa -state media

Syrian Minister of Telecommunications Iyad al Khatib attends a news conference as he sits near a picture depicting Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, in Damascus, Syria February 21, 2022. REUTERS/Firas Makdesi

DAMASCUS/AMMAN (Reuters) -Syria's telecommunications authority has awarded Wafa Telecom a licence to be the country's third mobile telecoms operator, state media reported on Monday.

Syrian Minister of Telecommunications Iyad al Khatib told parliament last week that Wafa would begin its services over the next nine months. Influential businessmen with close ties to government officials are key investors in the company, two senior businessmen said.