An index released by the Arab Advisors Group has shown that level of competition has fallen in the telecom sector of the UAE, compared to levels in 2009.

The AAG’s index looks at how many operators, services and packages are available in the countries considered by the group.   

The news will come as a disappointment to the UAE’s Telecoms Regulatory Authority which established new rules this year, in order to increase competition in the market, which is completely dominated by Etisalat and du.

Jordan topped the index and was rated as the most competitive market, with Saudi Arabia coming in second.  According to the results, only three Arab telcoms markets are less competitive than the UAE, these being Libya, Lebanon and Syria.