This week Kuwaiti headquartered carrier Zain has been negotiating the purchase of a stake in Palestinian carrier Palestine Telecommunication Company (PalTel). Paltel operates in the conflict-ridden West Bank and Gaza strip, where a fragile ceasefire is currently in place.

Zain CEO Dr. Saad H. Al Barrak was in closed door meetings in the final week of last month, according to a Zain spokesman and a deal was imminent. It was not clear at the time of going to press whether or not Zain was angling for a majority stake in the carrier, which is its preferred method of expansion.

Zain operates in 22 countries throughout Africa and the Middle East and is one of the rising stars of the international operator community. The firm has repeatedly voiced its intention to become one of the top ten global mobile operators and has indicated its desire to expand into Western markets when it has built sufficient scale in its regional business.