Universal Service Fund at the Communications Commission Signs Agreement with Zain to Implement Project No. 2 of Its First Operational Plan

The Universal Service Fund at the Communications and Information Technology Commission revealed today that Saudi Mobile Telecommunications Company (Zain) has won the implementation of Project No. (2) of the Fund's first operational plan, aimed at providing voice telecommunications and broadband internet services in all governorates of Al-Jawf region (Qurayyat, Dumat Al-Jandal, and Sakaka), and in the governorates of the Northern Borders region (Arar, Rafha, and Turaif), and the governorates of (Al-Dayer, Al-Darb, and Al-Rayth) in Jazan region, after the company passed all elements of technical and financial evaluation and submitted the lowest bid for the financial support required to implement this project, valued at (39,996,885) thirty-nine million, nine hundred ninety-six thousand, eight hundred eighty-five riyals.

The agreement for this project was signed by the Governor of the Communications and Information Technology Commission and Chairman of the Fund's Executive Committee, Dr. Abdulrahman bin Ahmed Al-Jaafari, and the CEO of Saudi Mobile Telecommunications Company (Zain), Dr. Saad bin Ahmed Al-Barrak.

The Governor of the Communications and Information Technology Commission and Chairman of the Fund's Executive Committee, Dr. Abdulrahman bin Ahmed Al-Jaafari, said: The Universal Service Fund's projects come within the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud - may God protect him - to enhance comprehensive development in all regions of the Kingdom, and are consistent with the long-term strategy of the national economy, by achieving sustainable and balanced comprehensive development in the Kingdom's regions, as well as the importance of the Fund's projects in achieving the general objectives of the Ninth Development Plan (1431/1432H - 1435/1436H).

The Director General of the Universal Service Fund, Eng. Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al-Mubarak, explained that the Fund evaluated and analyzed the competing bids for this project, submitted by the Saudi Telecom Group, Etihad Etisalat Company (Mobily), and Saudi Mobile Telecommunications Company (Zain), according to the evaluation criteria and methodology set out in the project's request for proposals document, through which it became clear that all applying companies were technically qualified; which qualified them for the public session for opening the financial bids, which showed that Saudi Mobile Telecommunications Company (Zain) submitted the lowest financial support bid among the companies competing for this project. The financial bids of all applicants were also evaluated, and all evaluation results were then presented to the Fund's Executive Committee (a committee emanating from the Board of Directors of the Communications and Information Technology Commission), which decided that Saudi Mobile Telecommunications Company (Zain) would win Project No. (2) of the Fund's first operational plan to cover the nine aforementioned governorates.

Al-Mubarak also explained that the Fund intends to issue the request for proposals document for the projects of the second operational plan (1432/1433H, corresponding to 2011) during the first half of the same year, aimed at providing voice telecommunications services and broadband internet services in the targeted underserved population centers in the following governorates:

1. Al-Majma'ah and Rumah governorates in Riyadh region.

2. Al-Qunfudhah governorate in Makkah region.

3. Khafji, Hafr Al-Batin, and Qaryat Al-Ulya governorates in the Eastern Province.

4. An-Namas, Balqarn, and Bisha governorates in Asir region.

5. All governorates in Al-Baha region (Al-Aqiq, Al-Baha, Al-Mandaq, Al-Mikhwah, Al-Qura, Baljurashi, and Qilwah).

Director General of International Affairs, Relations and Media

(Official Spokesperson for the Commission)

Sultan bin Mohammed Al-Malik