5G strategy and beyond
Empowering possibilities
Zain pioneers tower sale and leaseback
In early 2020, Zain Kuwait completed the sale and
leaseback of the passive physical infrastructure of its
1,620 mobile tower portfolio to IHS Holding Limited
for US$ 130 million (KD 40 million). The transaction is
the first sale and leaseback of telecom towers in the
Middle East region by a licensed mobile operator.
Zain Vice-Chairman and Group CEO, Bader Al-Kharafi, believes 5G
will push the telecom sector to a new and thrilling phase of growth
To ensure the success of its 4Sight strategy,
Zain Group is leveraging the talent of its pro-
gressive workforce and seeking opportunities
centered on evolving the telco’s core business
to maximize value and selectively investing in
lucrative growth verticals. The company has
been extremely active in the regulatory arena
regarding spectrum acquisition and in seeking
support from regulators and other govern-
ment authorities. In Kuwait and Saudi Arabia,
the allocation of these spectrum bands facili-
tated the milestone launch of 5G services, as
is also the case with Bahrain, which will soon
launch the exciting new technology.
The successful launch of 5G in Kuwait and
Saudi Arabia, the region’s largest commercial
rollout, is a clear indicator of Zain’s passion
for 5G technology and its ability to provide
customers a superior mobile experience. The
company is mobilizing resources to capitalize
on the enormous prospects that 5G technol-
ogy provides, creating vast opportunities in
the value chain proposition in numerous in-
dustries, including enterprise (B2B) services to
government and businesses of all sizes. 5G is
set to push the telecom sector to a new and
thrilling phase of growth.
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Under the terms of
the transaction, Zain is
selling only its passive,
physical infrastructure
to a new purposely
created entity and will
retain its intelligent
software, technology
and intellectual prop-
erty with respect to
managing its network.
PAUSE, THINK, ACT: Cyber security is a strategic issue
Zain Group’s Risk Management team is at the forefront of raising
and implementing cyber security initiatives within the organization.
The team has been proactive in raising awareness of the impor-
tance of cyber resilience, while also being active in ensuring the
implementation of cutting-edge technology and solutions geared
at cyber securing the company’s digital data.
As digitization gains pace and the integration of systems becomes
commonplace, it has become clear that cyber security is not just
an IT issue, it is an organizational one. As such, it needs to be ad-
dressed strategically within the company rather than just tactically.
Accordingly, sharing information is
fundamental to improving cyber security
posture and Group Risk Management has
held awareness sessions and developed
material for a year-long cyber security
awareness program to be implemented by
all operating companies. Furthermore, the
team holds an annual Risk Synergy Forum
bringing in security experts and risk teams
from across all its operations.
The program, with a slogan of PAUSE, THINK, ACT, has developed
into an ongoing initiative, and is updated regularly with the latest
trends in cyber security risks.