Zain launches ‘One Network’ in Middle East
14 million mobile customers in Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan and Sudan to make calls and text messages at local rates when travelling
14 April 2008: Manama, Baghdad, Amman and Khartoum.
Zain has achieved another first by bringing its groundbreaking borderless “One Network” mobile service to four countries in the Middle East. This service, which made telecom history when it was launched in Africa, today allows Zain’s 14 million customers in Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan and Sudan to be part of a pan Middle East mobile community, providing them the opportunity to communicate between these countries and be treated as local customers in terms of pricing, while using their home network service.
User friendly, the One Network service is a non-burdening experience and is automatically activated when Zain customers from the four countries cross borders, thus enabling them to stay in touch with friends, colleagues and family members at a reduced cost.
“This truly is a defining moment in the history of the Middle East and global telecommunications and a major step forward in Zain’s intent to become a top-ten global mobile operator by 2011,” said Dr Saad Al Barrak, Zain Group CEO. “The launch of One Network in the Middle East helps fulfil our promise to deliver to our customers a unique and rewarding Zain brand experience through the products and services we offer.”
As well as allowing Zain’s pre-paid and post-paid customers to make calls and SMS at local rates and receive incoming calls free-of-charge, One Network enables them to top-up their mobile phone credits with locally purchased scratch cards, which are widely available in more than 200,000 points of sales. Furthermore, there is no need for pre-registration, no extra fees, no roaming deposits, no complicated dialing formats, etc.
Zain customers will continue to have access to all of their home country services (Voicemail, Customer Care, SMS content, etc) no matter which Middle East One Network country they are in. They can make free calls to their Customer Care service via home network short codes. These will be routed to their home network call centre where they can speak to a service agent in their own dialect.
“The One Network offer is not built around pricing but around simplicity and user friendliness leveraging our cross country networks,” explained George Held, One Network Program Director and architect of the service that already unites 12 countries on the African continent. “One Network is also not standing still. We are constantly expanding not just geographical coverage but also the scope of the service.”
Originally launched by Zain Group on the African continent through its fully owned subsidiary Celtel, One Network comes to the Middle East at a time when economic and commercial growth has never been greater. As trans-border travel and commerce continues to grow, mobile customers within the One Network countries will appreciate the many tangible benefits of the service stimulating economic growth and productivity like never before.
“We acknowledge the co-operation and support we have had from the many telecoms regulatory and ministerial bodies within the One Network countries who have demonstrated understanding, foresight and a willingness to work with us to bring this remarkable service - and its many personal and commercial benefits - to the people of the Middle East” concluded Dr Al Barrak, who also confirmed that Zain’s Saudi Arabia operation will join the One Network on commencement of commercial services in the coming months while other Zain operations in the region will join the service subject to governmental and regulatory approvals.
About Zain
Zain is a leading emerging markets player in the field of telecommunications aiming to become one of the top ten mobile groups in the world by 2011. Zain was established in 1983 in Kuwait as the region’s first mobile operator. Since 2003, it has grown significantly becoming the 4th largest telecommunications company in the world in terms of geographic presence with a footprint in 22 countries spread across the Middle East and Africa providing mobile voice and data services to over 45 million active customers (as at 31 March 2008).
In the Middle East the company operates under the Zain brand name in Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait and Sudan. In Lebanon the company operates as mtc-touch. Zain plans to commence operations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2008.
In Africa, Zain operates under the Celtel brand (www.celtel.com) in 14 sub-Saharan African countries namely: Burkina Faso, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Kenya, Malawi, Madagascar, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. The company’s mobile telecommunications operations in Ghana will begin in 2008.
The Zain brand is wholly owned by Mobile Telecommunications Company KSC, which is listed on the Kuwait Stock Exchange (Stock ticker: ZAIN). The company had a market capitalization of over US$29 billion on 31 March, 2008.
For more information please visit www.zain.com
Media Enquiries: info@zain.com
