RIYADH (WiMAX Day). The Atheeb – Batelco consortium was awarded final approval of a new fixed-line telecommunications license in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia this week. In a company press release, Batelco said it “provisionally won a WiMAX licence in 2007 and a number of Batelco staff tasked with implementing the new products and services have been based in Saudi Arabia since Q3 2007 to prepare for the launch of services.” Batelco Chief Executive Peter Kaliaropoulos said “The consortium of Batelco and Saudi Arabia’s Atheeb group plans to invest $1 billion in its telecommunications and ICT operation in the first five years of business.”