The Kuwait-based Mobile Telecommunications Company (Zain Group) provides mobile and data services directly and through its subsidiaries in the Middle East, Africa and Europe.

Established in 1983, as the Gulf’s first mobile operator, Zain listed its shares on the Kuwait Stock ExchangeKuwait Stock Exchange in March 1985. It launched its 3X3X3 mission in 2003, to transform itself into a regional player within the first three years, an international player by the following three years, and a global player, with 70 million subscribers in the last three years. To that end, the group began its expansion with the purchase of Jordan Mobile Telephone ServicesJordan Mobile Telephone Services shares in January 2003, for KWD127.1 million (USD423.9 million); this was the largest private sector investment in Jordan. Zain then won the license to operate Bahrain's second GSM mobile license, in April 2003.

Regionally, the group merged its Iraqi holdings in January 2008, MTC AtheerMTC Atheer and IraqnaIraqna, under the Zain brand. It plans to increase the Iraqi company’s total subscribers from 7.5 million, as of February 2008 to 10 million, by the end of 2008.

Zain and its consortium partners submitted the highest bid of KWD1.8 billion (USD6.1 billion), for Saudi Arabia's third GSM license in March 2007, making the group the fourth largest telecom operator in the world, based on its geographic presence.

Zain Group won a 4-year management contract in June 2004, to run Lebanon’s government-owned LibanCell network, for KWD62 million (USD209.3 million). In March 2008, the contract was renewed for a period of 6 months starting in June 2008.

Internationally, Zain Group purchased a majority stake in Ghana’s second national operator in December 2007, for KWD32.9 million (USD120 million). In April 2005, it added the Dutch mobile operator, Celtel International, for KWD981.5 million (USD3.36 billion). Celtel operates in 14 countries with 26.8 million subscribers, as of 2007 and had a 39% share in Zain Sudan since March 2001. In 2007, Zain Sudan became a fully-owned subsidiary of Zain Group for KWD386.86 million (USD1.332 billion).

At the end of 2007, Zain Group had 42.4 million subscribers in the Middle East and Africa, which represents a 57% annual increase. With 26.8 million subscribers, Zain Group’s African operations represented 64% of the group’s total, while the Middle East represented the rest, with 15.7 million. In terms of percentage growth, Celtel Uganda represented the highest growth with a 205% increase in subscribers, and the second highest growth was in the Iraq operations, with a 128% increase in subscribers. Celtel Nigeria represented 26% of the company’s total subscribers and Zain Iraq 17%.

A KWD7.6 billion (USD27.57 billion) market capital and a KWD1.7 billion (USD6.1 billion) total revenues, places Zain Group as the third largest telecom operator in the MENA region and the largest publicly listed company on the Kuwait Stock ExchangeKuwait Stock Exchange as of the close of 2007.

As a way of building a global brand, MTC Group and mobile operators in Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan, Sudan and Iraq were re-branded in September 2007 as Zain; all African operations were re-branded from Celtel to Zain in August 2008.

Zain plans to have an earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) of KWD1.6 billion (USD6 billion), and be in the world’s top ten telecoms, by 2011. To reach this goal, Zain initiated the ACE strategy in January 2008 to accelerate growth in Africa and the world; consolidate the existing assets, and expand into adjacent markets.

In September 2006, the group instituted the Zain One Network, which provides free roaming calls to certain countries. By 2008, Zain had 25 million subscribers to this service in 12 African countries. In the Middle East, the service was launched in April 2008 to a population of 14 million in Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan and Sudan, Iraq, Jordan and Sudan.

The next step in their expansion strategy will explore China and India.