• Bader Al-Kharafi: Zain's brand launches with a renewed identity that enhances customer experience and reshapes the boundaries of telecommunications services.

Kuwait - Zain Group announced a new achievement that strengthened its regional and international presence in the communications and information technology industry, as its brand value recorded a record jump to reach $4.039 billion, with a growth rate of 16% - according to the latest ranking by "Brand Finance" - which is the highest level the brand has reached since its inception.

Zain, a leading technology innovator in the Middle East and Africa markets, explained that this exceptional growth added $560 million to the brand's value in one year, reflecting the widening impact of its initiatives in digital transformation projects and the expansion of investments in emerging technologies and digital platforms.

Zain revealed that this upgrade on the Brand Finance ranking for 2026 has cemented its brand position among the top 25 global telecommunications brands, after achieving a AAA- rating with a strength index of 83.3 out of 100, indicating that this ranking highlights the confidence of customers and partners, and the success of its investments in driving the Zain identity towards a broad international presence.

The group indicated that the brand’s rise during this short period of time was driven by strong operational and financial performance for 2025, as Zain achieved its highest revenues in the last 16 years, and increased its investments in capital expenditures in the last year by 40% to reach $ 1.5 billion in developing its networks and infrastructure, in addition to expanding its 5G services, while Kuwait was among the first global markets to launch 5G-Advanced services.

Zain confirmed that this ranking reflects a qualitative shift in the development of its brand, with its continued growth at a pace exceeding industry averages, and confirming its ability to compete in a highly transformative and changing communications and technology environment, which has broadened the scope of its operations as an innovation-driven company.

It is worth noting that Zain Group continues its plans to accelerate its strategic transformation towards building the largest technology conglomerate in the Middle East and Africa markets. Through its “ 4WARD – Progress with Purpose” strategy, it seeks to unleash its full potential through a customer-centric, future-proof, and purpose-driven model.

Over the past few years, Zain has been able to move from a traditional telecommunications operator to a fully integrated, multi-domain digital operator, strengthening its leadership in mobile and fixed communication services, while expanding into new growth sectors including communications and information solutions, digital financial services, infrastructure, digital entertainment, submarine cables, and cross-border communications. This transformation has enhanced the group’s resilience, broadened its revenue streams, and deepened its role in the digital economy .

Zain Group Vice Chairman and CEO Bader Nasser Al-Kharafi said, “Zain Group has succeeded in establishing a brand identity that goes beyond the framework of traditional services, to become a symbol of inspiration, purposeful communication and digital development. Recent years have witnessed a qualitative shift in strategic initiatives, which has contributed to shaping a more established brand personality and building a renewed identity that reshapes the boundaries of telecommunications services, through teamwork and a continuous passion to improve and enhance the customer experience.”

Al-Kharafi explained, “At Zain, we believe that the role of companies goes beyond providing services, to include a broader responsibility in developing a more sustainable business environment. From this standpoint, the group has adopted a series of qualitative initiatives in the areas of sustainability, governance, inclusion, diversity and equity, as a fundamental pillar in the corporate work system. These initiatives have garnered regional and international appreciation, and have contributed to deepening the relationship of the Zain brand with its customers and consolidating trust with partners.”

He added, "Our work at Zain is not limited to building a brand with a presence and influence, but extends to building a work environment that makes more than 8,000 employees feel like true partners in a success story that goes beyond the job. The true value of any organization stems from its human resources, and Zain's ranking among the top three employers in the Middle East and North Africa according to the latest Forbes list confirms that we are moving in the right direction, and that Zain's culture is now more capable of keeping pace with the future with flexibility and confidence."

Al-Kharafi pointed out that Zain Group is now entering a phase that requires a broader vision and more ambitious steps, as we will continue to invest in digital infrastructure, enhance the system of artificial intelligence solutions directed to the business sector, in addition to developing financial technology services and services related to the digital lifestyle. Our goal is not limited to maintaining our business leadership, but extends to contributing to building a future in which development is based on innovation, and in which modern technologies are integrated to serve all segments of society .

It is worth noting that Zain Group’s data indicates that its digital presence continues to record record indicators. Its campaigns achieved more than 4 billion views and 1.5 billion interactions across various platforms in one year, which reflects the strength of the media message and the extent of the audience’s connection to the brand. Zain today addresses a base of more than 50.9 million customers in its markets, in addition to a digital community of more than 35.5 million followers on social media networks, which enhances its position as one of the most influential and widespread brands in the region.

The latest ranking issued by Brand Finance reflects the cumulative impact of Zain Group’s business strategy under the title “Progress with Purpose,” a strategy that is driving the company’s transformation towards building one of the largest technology conglomerates in the region. This vision is based on four key pillars, including customer happiness, Zain Digital, Purpose and Impact, and Collaborative Growth. It is an integrated system that reshapes performance and enhances competitiveness and future readiness, contributing to transforming strategic efforts and initiatives into tangible value.

This assessment is based on a wide range of indicators that reflect the overall picture of Zain Group’s performance. It takes into account the company’s financial performance and market value, along with the level of performance of investor relations management, governance standards, and progress made in the areas of sustainability. The assessment also includes network quality, the size of investments directed towards its development, digital innovation, building new projects, customer interaction, the effectiveness of advertising campaigns, and the performance of digital platforms. In addition, it includes talent development initiatives, promoting inclusion, diversity and equity initiatives, and the rapid growth in the digital services ecosystem, all of which are elements that have contributed to consolidating the Group’s position and enhancing the value of its brand in the markets.

This achievement highlights the growing role of the Group’s business portfolio, which contributes to expanding the brand’s impact and strengthening its presence across various customer segments, and supporting the transformation towards a comprehensive, purpose-driven, agile, and innovative digital operator. Looking ahead, Zain will continue to enhance the momentum of its business strategy by expanding its digital infrastructure, developing AI solutions, IoT services, and fintech services, thereby enhancing sustainable shareholder value, deepening customer trust, and driving digital progress in the region’s markets.

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