Qanawat, a leading mobile value-added-service (VAS) provider in the Middle East, has strengthened its regional presence by opening the first office in Saudi Arabia.

The new Riyadh base, which joins existing offices in Dubai and Cairo, will help boost customer relations in Saudi and acquire localised content and broaden Qanawat’s service portfolio through providing dedicated local resources, said the company statement.

The Dubai-based company also plans to open additional offices in Jordan, Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia next year.

Saudi is a priority market for Qanawat due to its large population and high ARPU (average revenue per user) performance, according to a senior official.

CEO Adnan Omar Al Obthani said Qanawat is a pioneer of the mobile VAS concept in the region which now provides services to 40 mobile operators in 21 countries across Mena and Asia, reaching more than 250 million consumers through its content and services.

'Qanawat celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2011 and over the last decade the company has acquired a reputation as an innovator, introducing a diverse service portfolio built with strategic insights into regional customer needs,' he noted.

Qanawat’s service portfolio today includes not just mobile content and VAS services but also mobile advertising, smart-phone applications and mobile portals.

Al Obthani said the company has achieved considerable success and its customers rank among the top mobile operators in the Mena.

'As the mobile VAS services space matures, I see Qanawat playing a more significant role in harnessing the attractive opportunities available across emerging markets NA and Asian region,' he added.-TradeArabia News Service