Wataniya Mobile is the new mobile telecommunications company in Palestine that will lead the new era of competition in the Palestinian telecommunications sector.
Our journey began in September 2006 when the Kuwait-based telecommunications company Wataniya International won an open tender issued by the Palestinian National Authority for the license to build and operate the second GSM network in Palestine.
Wataniya Mobile was then established in December 2006 as a partnership between Wataniya International and the Palestine Investment Fund (PIF). In March 2007 Wataniya International was acquired by the Qatar Telecommunications Company (QTEL) bringing Wataniya Mobile into an even larger international telecommunications family that will provide us with access to more resources to bring state of the art mobile services to the Palestinian public. Currently Wataniya International owns 57% of the company while PIF owns 43%. The ownership structure will change after our initial offering of shares to the public (IPO) which will take place before our commercial launch.
Our Team
Our team already includes more than 70 of the most experienced individuals in Palestine working side by side with mobile telecommunications professionals from around the world. Many of our team members are returning Palestinians who for years lived in the Diaspora and have returned recently to their homeland to take part in building Wataniya Mobile. By the time we launch our commercial services our team will consist of more than 350 employees. In the next two years Wataniya Mobile is expected to generate more than 2000 direct and indirect jobs.
Our Social Responsibility Programs
We have proudly sponsored several local projects that reflect our commitment to the culture, sports and the youth of Palestine. These include the Jericho Winter Football Championship, the Bethlehem Youth Marathon, the “Filistin Ashabab” Monthly Literary Awards, the Mobile Circus Tour, the Palestinian Women’s Football Team, the Tony Qattan Concert, the Palestinian Car Rally and the Edward Said Children’s Orchestra. We are also funding recruitment “Open Days” at universities across Palestine where graduates learn about careers with Palestine’s newest mobile telecom company.
Wataniya Mobile is proud to partner with Al-Quds Open University in exploring and developing the latest ICT technologies that can advance education in Palestine.