Chapter

02

Company Overview

The 2023 Sustainability Report coincides with the company’s 40-year anniversary. Zain, formally known as Mobile Telecommunications Company K.S.C.P., was established in 1983 by an Amiri decree. Headquartered in Kuwait, the company is considered the region’s first mobile operator, and following its expansion strategy is currently operating in eight countries in the Middle East and Africa with a workforce of over 7,900 employees. The largest shareholder is the Group of Oman Telecommunications, with a 21.9% ownership, followed by Kuwait Investment Authority with 15.9%.

Below is the breakdown of the equity share of Zain across its markets:

Operation
Equity Stake
Bahrain

65%

Iraq

76%

Jordan

96.5%

Kuwait

100%

Saudi Arabia

37%

Sudan

100%

South Sudan

100%

ZainTECH

100%

In 2023, the company provided voice and data digital products and services to 51 million customers. Prepaid and postpaid customer numbers can be found in the ‘Customer Base’ section of this report. Additionally, through its UAE headquartered integrated digital solutions entity, ZainTECH, the company provides the full stack of ICT enterprise (B2B) services for Governments and Enterprises of all sizes across the region. Also, the newly formed UAE based Zain Omantel International (ZOI) is revolutionizing the international telecommunications wholesale landscape as the premier wholesale powerhouse serving regional operators, international carriers, and global hyperscalers.

Zain is a member of the GSM Association and continues to engage proactively in various regulatory affairs, sustainability, climate change, circularity, children’s rights, and industry trend streams.

51M

Active customers

USD 6.2B

in consolidated revenues

USD 701M

in net income

The company continued to scale implementation of blocking mechanisms of child sexual abuse material across six out of its seven mobile operators.

For the third consecutive year, Zain implemented its Women in Tech (WIT) program that fosters the development of undergraduate women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), having reached an accumulative of 912 women since 2022.

912

an accumulative of WOMEN FROM THE WOMEN IN TECH program reached since 2022

Zain continued to scale its supplier self-assessment questionnaires to 441 suppliers, reaching a total of 23% of its active suppliers in 2023.

23%

active suppliers took self-assessment questionnaires and training in 2023

To better serve its customers from the disability segment, the company provided bundles for this demographic in Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and South Sudan

Zain achieved a score of 8.4/10 in the Children’s Rights and Business 2023 Global benchmark, reaching a leader position against a sector average of 5.8/10 and regional average of 3.4/10.

8.4/10

achieved score in the Children’s Rights and Business 2023 Global benchmark

Zain established the Zain Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion University in collaboration with IE University with the aim of extending learning opportunities to 2,000 Zain employees to participate in an inclusive online Digital Transformation program, also offering the possibility of attaining a master’s degree.

2,000

Zain employees to participate in an inclusive online Digital Transformation program

In alignment to the company’s ambition to become Net-Zero by 2050, Zain deployed 338 hybrid solutions across its footprint to reduce its emissions.

338

deployed hybrid solutions