JEDDAH, 20 March 2003 — A big demand for mobile phones was created by STC’s announcement that phone chips were available for only SR100. Mobile phone shop owners confirmed to Arab News that there had been a 50 percent increase in demand as a result of cheap mobile chips. Wael Musaad, owner of a mobile phone shop in Jeddah, explained, “Since the STC announcement, the demand for mobile phones has increased as much as 50 percent.”