Qtel has formed a joint venture company with Saudi Arabia’s Atco to exclusively provide WiMAX services outside Qatar.

Qatar’s telecom service provider has a controlling stake (70 per cent) in Wi-Tribe, Qtel chief operating officer, Sheikh Fahad bin Jassim al-Thani was quoted as saying in a Gulf Times report.

Wi-Tribe is looking at other markets in the Middle East and North Africa, Sheikh Fahad said.

WiMAX, the worldwide interoperability for microwave access, is a telecommunications technology aimed at providing wireless data over long distances in a variety of ways, from point-to-point links to full mobile cellular type access.

Wi-tribe will leverage Qtel’s existing footprint and vendor relationship, he added.