Page 31 - SAMENA Trends - June-July 2020

REGIONAL & MEMBERS UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Zain Group Posts a Strong Set of Financials for H1
2020, as It Progresses 5G and FTTH

Zain group has posted a strong set of CEO commented. “I would like to recognize added, “Our culture of innovation has been
financials for the first half of 2020, as the and thank all Zain personnel who have invaluable at this time of rapid change,
pan-Arabian telco continues to cement remained dedicated and motivated to their and Zain has been pro-active in its use of
its strong position on 5G throughout the duties and provided exemplary services, technology to maintain its operations at a
region. Zain Group served 47.6 million helping deliver on the critical role we play high-level of availability, and our business
customers at the end of the period. In a in maintaining connectivity and supporting continuity strategy has been executed
statement to the press, Zain Group revealed the communities we serve throughout impressively in the fight against COVID-19.
that it had seen consolidated data revenue these exceptional times. Furthermore, Zain We are proud to not reduce the salaries of
grow 10 per cent on a year on year basis to was committed to ensuring its employees’ any employee, as the company is optimistic
reach $1.1 billion, representing 42 per cent wellbeing and safety and the company took of the telecom sector’s resilience in such
of the Group’s revenue. During the first half decisive actions to support and provide times.” In Iraq, Zain Group announced that
of 2020 Zain Group invested over $494 them with the tools needed to adapt it has successfully extended its telecoms
million in CAPEX reflecting 19 per cent of during this time of crisis.” The Group CEO licenses to 2030 inclusive of 4G.
revenues, predominantly in expansion of
Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) infrastructure;
spectrum fees; 4G upgrades and new
network sites across its markets, as well
as 5G rollouts in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and
recently Bahrain. “The first six-months
was a mission-critical period as all our
operations were focused on providing
connectivity during the lockdown to
minimize the impact of the pandemic on
socio-economic life. At the same time,
we refocused on digital transformation
to better serve businesses, governments,
and societies, granting increased digital
access to essential medical, commercial
and financial services,” said Bader Nasser
Al-Kharafi, Zain vice-chairman and Group

Zain Group Joins Hedera Governing Council to Create a Safer, Fairer, More

Secure Internet

Zain Group [Kuwait Boursa, stock ticker: traditional blockchains. It offers a new people to play games and work together.
ZAIN], a leading mobile telecom innovator way for people or organizations who do End-users will also be empowered to buy
serving 49.5 million customers in eight not know or trust each other to securely and sell goods and services safely and
markets across the Middle East and Africa collaborate and transact online without the securely, without entrusting a central
announces it is joining the highly innovative need for a trusted intermediary. Through its organization with their data and privacy.
Hedera Governing Council. Zain is the first participation on the Hedera Council, Zain As a leading regional digital lifestyle
company from the Middle East region to Group will gain extensive early insights operator, Zain consistently looks to ways
participate on the Council, joining a list into the trends and applications in the technology can provide new solutions to
of prestigious global innovators including distributed ledger technology (DLT) space its individual and business customers
Boeing, Deutsche Telekom, DLA Piper, FIS and will be able to assess opportunities while also improving its own operating
(WorldPay), Google, IBM, LG Electronics, to develop services within its own field of efficiency. Furthermore, the Hedera
Magalu, Nomura, Swirlds, Swisscom operation. Hedera’s vision is to create a Hashgraph patented technology platform
Blockchain, Tata Communications, safer, fairer, more secure internet - one in addresses the universally important issue
University College London, and Wipro. which online communities can collectively of the environment as its power usage is
Hedera Hashgraph provides a next- create and evolve shared worlds in super-efficient, utilizing a fraction of the
generation form of distributed consensus cyberspace, and on which developers electricity that blockchain platforms use.
that is faster, fairer and more secure than can build trusted applications that enable This is in line with Zain Group’s membership

31 JUNE-JULY 2020