RIYADH: Mobily is planning to launch “Tejwali Plus,” a new version of its Tejwali service. With this, all Mobily subscribers can receive national and international calls at a fixed rate of 55 halalas per minute while they are roaming in 82 countries (as opposed to the original Tejwali’s 56). These 82 countries have more than 170 international operators

BBK to pursue acquisitions

MANAMA: Bahraini lender BBK will pursue acquisition opportunities in Bahrain and the Gulf Arab region after a planned merger with Islamic rival Shamil Bank was put on hold, its chief executive said yesterday. “We will continue to look into opportunities, if something comes across our way, we will pursue it very aggressively,” Chief Executive Abdulkarim Bucheery told Reuters.

Zain takes stake in Wana

KUWAIT: Kuwait’s Mobile Telecom Co. (Zain) said it is acquiring a 31 percent stake in telecom firm Wana for $324 million, a unit of Morocco’s biggest conglomerate ONA. “Zain in a 50/50 partnership with Al-Ajial Investment Fund Holding ... has agreed to invest through a newly established joint venture ... $324 million in return for 31 percent of Wana ..., the third mobile telecom operator in Morocco,” a Zain statement said.

Drake wins $163m contract

DUBAI: Dubai contractor Drake & Scull International, which will list its shares on Monday, has won a contract worth 600 million dirhams ($163.4 million) to provide district cooling in Bahrain, it said yesterday. Drake will provide 85,000 tons of district cooling over a five-year period for Durrat Al-Bahrain, a 21,000 hectare (51,891 acres) island city project, the company’s Chief Executive Khaldoun Tabari told Reuters.

East Star suspends flights

BEIJING: Xinhua news agency says a private Chinese airline has been ordered by the state to suspend operations because of financial and management problems due to the global economic turmoil. Xinhua News Agency says East Star Airlines, based in Wuhan, was ordered by the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China to halt flights as of Sunday.

Guttenberg in US for GM talks

BERLIN: German Economics Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg departed yesterday for the United States, where he is to hold talks with the US government and General Motors (GM) on the future of German subsidiary Opel.