It seems as if AT&T Corp can do no wrong in Saudi Arabia. Following its success in landing a $4,000m telecommunication infrastructure from the Kingdom – its largest ever outside the US – in May 1994 (CI No 2,412), the country’s Council of Ministers has awarded the company, together with its local partner AS Bugshan & Bros, a contract to expand the Kingdom’s Groupe Speciale Mobile mobile network with an additional 300,000 subscriber connections. Subject to the terms of the contract negotiations, the project could be valued at up to $800m, and will bring the total number of AT&T Groupe Speciale Mobile subscriber connections in the Kingdom to 500,000. The expansion project calls for providing cellular service to the full range of mobile units including low-powered hand-held mobile phones (Class V coverage) to approximately 16 new cities, and cellular service to transportable and vehicle-mounted mobile phones (Class II coverage) along a number of major highways in the Kingdom. In addition, the expansion will also upgrade from Class II to Class V coverage the 21 cities that are served under the existing 200,000-subscriber contract now being implemented by AT&T.
