Emirates Telecommunications Corp (Etisalat) has not bid for the Algerian unit of Orascom Telecom, a spokesman for the UAE telecoms provider said on Sunday.

"We did not discuss with Orascom and did not make an offer," Ahmed bin Ali told Reuters.

On Thursday, the Egyptian mobile firm said it would enter negotiations to sell its Djezzy unit to the Algerian government, which blocked a preferred deal with South Africa’s MTN.

Etisalat’s chairman, Mohammad Omran, said in February that the firm was interested in the Algerian market when the time was right and there had been speculation the Abu Dhabi-listed firm could make an offer for Djezzy.