2009 Middle East wireless cap ex spendi to increase 6.4 percent to $9.5 billion

REDWOOD CITY, USA: The Middle East wireless capital expenditure spending is forecasted to increase 6.4 percent in 2009 after growing 42.2 percent in 2008, according to the latest report from EJL Wireless Research titled "The Middle East Wireless Cap Ex Analysis 2008-2011."

"The spending levels for wireless capital expenditures vary drastically between the Arabian Peninsula countries and Non-Peninsula countries. We forecast that the Non-Peninsula sub region will outspend on cap ex through 2011, driven by Iran and Turkey. With a mobile penetration rate of 73.4 percent in the Middle East at the end of 2008 and the potential for new licenses to be awarded, we expect pockets of 2G growth in countries such as Iran, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen," says founder and President Earl Lum.

"Given the dependency on oil for many of the countries in the region and with some economic recovery already beginning, we believe that countries on the Arabian Peninsula such as Saudi Arabia will continue to spend heavily on 3G upgrades and initial LTE networks during our forecast," says Lum.