However, foreign workers are terminating contracts as they depart the country because of the recession and the UAE's population is expected to decline, although figures are yet to feed through.

Of more concern for operators in the region is falling ARPU. Telecoms consulting firm, Oliver Wymann, expects ARPU for Middle Eastern telecom firms to drop by half by 2013 in African and South Asian markets because of increasing competition, price reduction and a second-wave of customers that are predominately lower income.

ARPU will fall from US$12 today to US$6 in Sub-Saharan Africa by 2013, and from $6 to $3 in India and elsewhere in South Asia.