Introduction: Ahead & Growing
Zain is the pioneer of mobile telecommunications in the Middle East.
We began life in 1983 in Kuwait as the region’s first mobile operator, and since the initiation of our expansion strategy in 2003, we have expanded rapidly.
Today, we are a leading mobile and data services operator with a commercial footprint in 7 Middle Eastern and African countries with a workforce of 6,000 providing a comprehensive range of mobile voice and data services to over 41.4 million** active individual and business customers (September 30, 2011).
In the Middle East we operate in Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Iraq ,Saudi Arabia and Sudan as Zain, and in Lebanon as mtc touch (under a management contract).
On March 14, 2009, Zain in a 50/50 partnership with Al Ajial Investment Fund Holding acquired 31% of Wana, the third mobile telecom operator in Morocco.
On June 8, 2010, Zain announced that it has now satisfied all required conditions precedent to closing of the sale of 100% of Zain Africa BV (“Zain Africa”) to Bharti Airtel Limited (“Bharti”) for US$10.7 billion on an enterprise basis. The 15 countries that Bharti Airtel acquired from Zain in Africa, were - Burkina Faso, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.
Listed on the Kuwait Stock Exchange, there are no restrictions on Zain shares as the company’s capital is 100% free float and publicly traded. The largest shareholder is the Kuwait Investment Authority (24.6%).
In addition to securing the best possible returns for shareholders consistent with a high standard of corporate governance, Zain considers itself defined by a commitment to excellence in providing world-class mobile / data services and an ethos of corporate social responsibility in supporting communities, offering employment and creating business opportunities wherever it operates.
It is important to Zain that its economic, social and cultural projects have a positive impact on the people of all the countries in which we operate.
Zain Channel