South African MTN telecommunications enterprise has purchased Syrian "areeba" private mobile phone company at a price of 1 billion U.S. dollars, the official Syria Times reported on Sunday.

The deal was part of MTN's recently concluded purchase in which the South African company bought the whole Middle East "areeba" at a value of 5.5 billion dollars, said the report.

The Syrian "areeba," whose main shareholders are former Lebanese Prime Minister Najeeb Miqati and his brother, accounts for 45 percent in the country's mobile phone communications market.

The team of "areeba" in Syria will be maintained with some changes in management, the report added.

Source: Xinhua