Zainiac 2020 - Fifth Edition Zainiac 2020 - Fifth Edition | Page 5

Operational success Confidence through performance 2019 was an incredible operational year for Zain, reflected by strong profit growth across all markets. Group Key Performance Indicators in 2019 Total Active Customers 49.5 million    EBITDA USD 2.4 billion, up 40% Consolidated Revenue EBITDA Margin Net Income Sudan USD 5.5 billion, up 26% 44%   USD 715 million, up 10% Kuwait The operation maintained its market leadership, and as the first player to launch commercial 5G services in the country in June 2019, Zain Kuwait triumphantly rolled out numerous innovative digital ser- vices to enterprises and individual customers. The company went on to attain the largest market share of 5G customers in Kuwait and enhanced its B2B offerings to the appeal of numerous government and enterprise entities. The operator made substantial progress in its digital transformation in line with the country’s 2035 Vision, ending the year with 2.8 million customers. Saudi Arabia The impressive performance of Zain Saudi Arabia was no doubt the highlight of the year for the Group, with the operator recording its highest ever financial re- sults since its establishment. The rollout of the largest commercial 5G network in the region, combined with expansion of FTTH services and the launch of numer- ous data monetization initiatives were instrumental to its successful turnaround. The operator bolstered performance and perpetu- ated the successful digital transformation process in support of the targets of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030. The operator had 7.6 million customers at the end of 2019. Iraq Zain Iraq has received a formal letter extend- ing its 2G and 3G license for five years com- mencing August 2022, with ongoing discus- sions regarding the granting of 4G spectrum. Despite the country’s socio-economic issues during 2019 including currency devalua- tion, Zain Sudan continued to perform well in local currency SDG terms, driven by the rollout of appealing data monetization ini- tiatives powered by its 4G network. This re- sulted in impressive annual growth of data revenue. The operation serves the largest customer base in the Group with 15.9 mil- lion customers at the end of 2019. Jordan The operation in Jordan maintains market leadership, serving 3.6 million customers and recording improved net income in 2019. Significant investments were made on its nuclear grade data center, named ‘The Bun- ker’, as well as 4G and FTTH expansion. The operator is undergoing many transformation initiatives for its planned rollout of commercial 5G services. Bahrain 2019 was an incredible year for Zain Group, reflected by determined operating performances Continuing its upward trajectory, and against a backdrop of a highly competitive landscape and economic and political challenges, Zain Iraq delivered double-digit increases in both EBITDA and net profit serving 15.7 million customers. The company’s focus on customer ex- perience, retention and loyalty initiatives, services expansion across the country and cost transformation, combined with growth of data and digital revenue, were key drivers of this impressive performance. Zain Bahrain is preparing for the imminent rollout of com- mercial 5G services in the first half of 2020. Cost optimization and other initiatives saw the operator improve its EBITDA margin substantially and net income increased during 2019. Lebanon Zain has managed the touch operation in Lebanon since 2004 on behalf of the Telecom Ministry, taking the operation to new heights in terms of network capabilities, efficiency and rolling out appealing data monetization ser- vices. Zain remains committed to supporting the development of Lebanon’s mobile sector. 3