"Kuwait is witnessing an economic boom with new investments and businesses that urgently need solutions that address the new competitive environment they operate in," said Dr Saad Al Barrak, CEO of MTC. 

Under the accord, MTC and Celtel networks will have access to the EMS BlackBerry Launch Programme in offering services to their customers. "EMS...will assist MTC in launching, delivering, supporting and selling the BalckBerry solution to its customers across all operations," the companies said in a statement.   It said that EMS is the Dubai-based strategic channel partner of Research in Motion Ltd (RIM), developer of BlackBerry wireless platform that provides mobile professionals with wireless access to e-mail, phone, Internet, short messaging service (SMS), virtual organiser and corporate data applications from a single device.  

"We are proud to be partnering with a progressive and fast expanding telecom group like MTC," said Babar Khan, CEO of EMS - also a part of UAE-based IT group Emitac, which provides technology solutions in the Gulf region. "EMS will provide BlackBerry solutions and services to all MTC and celtel networks, extending the benefits of this technology into the Middle East and Africa."   MTC now offers its various telecom services through BlackBerry 8700 and the latest BlackBerry 8800 smartphone to customers.