CAIRO: Orascom Telecom, one of the biggest telecom firms in the Middle East, reported an 8 percent rise in its 2006 net income on Sunday to $719 million.

The firm said in a statement it raised earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortization by 43 percent to $1.95 billion.

Revenues also rose 36 percent on 2005 to $4.4 billion, the statement said. Orascom Telecom also said its total subscribers exceeded 51 million, up 70 percent from 2005.