Sudan and Emirates sign digital investment and technology development agreements

YahClick, the data solutions subsidiary of Al Yah Satellite Communications, signed a six-year, USD 15 million strategic partnership agreement with Sudan’s Canar Telecommunications Co Ltd to further expand its satellite broadband presence in Africa. The agreement will make Canar Telecommunications one of the largest providers of YahClick services throughout the region. The signing ceremony was attended by Ali Al Hashemi, CEO of YahSat Group; Sulaiman Al Ali, CEO of YahClick & Thuraya, Abdalla Saeed, CEO of Canar, and David Garjang, Canar’s chief commercial officer. It will also offer a wide range of new and enhanced services to customers across Sudan. 

This is an extra addition to the group’s $2.1bn profit reserve at the end of September 2022, which equates to 5.1 times the group’s annual profit in 2021. The deal will support Sudan’s digital transformation goals and expand broadband connections in the country. Under the agreement, Canar received significant satellite capacity that will be used to provide consistent, reliable and fast broadband internet connectivity to consumers and businesses in Sudan. Emirates, which celebrated its 15th anniversary last year, was founded in the United Arab Emirates in 2007 to provide reliable and secure satellite communications worldwide and meet the growing demand for satellite communications services. 

YahClick and Canar Telecommunication Co. Ltd signed a USD 15 million deal to boost digital services in Sudan. Learn more: https://t.co/s30CP1pEjZ

قامت ياه كليك بعقد شراكة مع شركة كنار للاتصالات بقيمة 15 مليون دولار . لمعرفة المزيد:https://t.co/TK9Yzt5vlO pic.twitter.com/okQwp6LL5b

— YahClick (@yahclick) January 30, 2023

The Emirati company has five satellites, the sixth of which is under development, with a modern structure that includes fixed and mobile satellite communications services. YahSat is a trusted partner for end-to-end satellite communications solutions and services, and a centre of excellence for public and commercial sector customers, operating and serving more than 150 countries on five continents. Commenting on the agreement, Sulaiman Al Ali said: “We are delighted to have signed this agreement with Canar, which will enable us to support Sudanese communities through improved communications and other services, even in the most remote parts of the country. The partnership with the country’s leading telecoms operator will enable YahClick to support other communities in the Middle East and Africa”. 

Abdalla Saeed added: “Our new strategic partnership with YahClick will enable us to meet the Sudanese government’s goal of accelerating the country’s digital transformation. By leveraging YahClick’s solutions, we will be able to build the country’s digital infrastructure in a way that will allow our local economy to grow and prosper.” The agreement is in line with the Government of Sudan’s digital transformation goals. The company’s goal is to help the country’s entrepreneurs improve their business digitally by providing them with more affordable and reliable internet services. This will be in addition to Canar’s existing voice, data, internet and multimedia service technologies, as well as NGN network technologies. In Sudan, there is not only Canar, but its “competitors” in the market are Sudani, Zain and MTN. Between them, the number of subscribers is close to 30 million in a country with just over 40 million subscribers. 

Such contracts support the government’s ambitions, as three out of four people will be able to get broadband thanks to investments by UAE companies. These companies receive a significant part of their daily cash flow to invest in crops and other economic sectors needed by African countries. On average, Khartoum receives about 560 million dollars a year in value-added taxes from telecommunications companies, in addition to taxes on profits and capital gains. According to documents provided by the ministry and Canar, the average annual flow of funds from Sudan’s telecommunications sector is estimated at more than 1.8 billion dollars, generated by the economic activities of various institutions and private companies operating in the sector.