DOHA, Sept 21: Mobile phone numbers went under the hammer for up to 90,000 dollars in a charity auction organized by Qatar Telecom (Qtel), company officials said on Wednesday.

Some 100 phone lines were up for grabs at a two-day auction held in a Doha hotel that raised a total of five million riyals (1.5 million dollars). The number 5111511 fetched 320,000 riyals (90,000 dollars), while the lowest winning bid was 8,500 riyals (2,500 dollars).

Qtel, in which the Qatari government holds a 55-percent stake, monopolizes the telecom industry in the energy-rich emirate.—AFP

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