11 March 2015
Kuwait - Zain Group, a leading telecom innovator in eight markets across the Middle East and Africa, announces a strategic agreement with Etisalat UAE, toparticipate in Etisalat's SmartHub, theregion's largest capacity, content, Internet and data hub in the Middle East.

The agreement will result in Etisalat's SmartHub deployment providing the Zain Group of companies faster access to leading Internet content and capacity services. SmartHub IX and SmartHubIPX will also be available to the Zain Group throughout the region through the same connection.

Henri Kassab, Managing Director, International, Wholesale & Roaming at Zain Groupsaid, "Given Zain Group's strategic direction of transforming into an integrated digital lifestyle mobile operator, it is critical that we bring a higher quality of data connectivity to our customers across the region. This collaboration with Etisalat'sSmartHub will help Zain sustain the huge growth in regional mobile Internet and act as a more resilient platform for us to exchange regional traffic and source a vast repository of localized Internet content."

Kassab continued, "This partnership will further enhance the Internet experience we provide, helping Zain to retain and attract new customers as well as complement our 4G LTE expansion strategy and support our planned roll-out of dynamic Enterprise services to corporate clients. We look forward to continued cooperation with Etisalat UAE and other key partners for the benefit of our customers."

Speaking at this occasion Ali Amiri, Executive Vice President of Carrier & Wholesale Services, Etisalat UAEsaid, "The Zain Group is an important partner for Etisalat and this marks a milestone in the regional expansion of the SmartHub. Important operators like the Zain Group recognize the need for localized access to content and the need to support mission critical customer applications with robust and reliable international network solutions. We look forward to a continued long and mutually beneficial relationship with the Zain Group and welcome them to the SmartHub community of content providers and networks."

Etisalat UAE's SmartHub is the region's largest capacity, content, Internet and data hub in the Middle East. SmartHub includes the Middle East's first IPX for mobile operators and extends to the region's largest portfolio of Internet content. SmartHub has made significant strategic partners this year such as AMSix, Epsilon, Equinix, PCCW Global, SAP, China Telecom, and Tata Communications among others. SmartHub also became the region's largest hosted content delivery network (CDN) due to new partnerships with Limelight, Level3, and CDN networks. This is in addition to a robust content portfolio (Akamai, Microsoft, Yahoo! and the world's largest search and video provider). Connectivity to SmartHub is provided through a robust and diverse infrastructure of both regional and intercontinental cable systems managed by Etisalat's Carrier & Wholesale Services www.etisalat.ae/SmartHub.

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About Zain Group
Zain is a leading telecommunications operator across the Middle East and Africa providing mobile voice and data services to over 44.3 million active customers as of 31 December, 2014. With a commercial presence in 8 countries, Zain operates in: Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and South Sudan. In Lebanon, the Group manages 'touch' on behalf of the government. In Morocco, Zain has a 15.5% stake in 'INWI', through a joint venture. Zain is listed on the Kuwait Stock Exchange (stock ticker: ZAIN).

For more, please email info@zain.com  or visit: www.zain.com; www.facebook.com/zain; www.twitter.com/zain; www.youtube.com/zain; www.instagram.com/zaingroup; www.linkedin.com/company/zain

About Etisalat-UAE
Etisalat is the UAE's leading telecommunications operator and one of the largest corporations in the GCC. As well as establishing several "firsts" over the past four decades of operations, Etisalat has deployed many innovative mobile and fixed technologies in the country. Headquartered in Abu Dhabi, UAE, Etisalat serves 11 million customers in the UAE.

Etisalat has an extensive fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) network, making the UAE rank as the most fibre-connected country in the world. Etisalat also has the widest coverage of 3G and 4G mobile technologies in the UAE. Etisalat is strategically transforming into a fully integrated telecom operator and ICT solutions provider. Etisalat UAE has brought smarter services into every aspect of its offering to support the UAE's goal to create smarter cities through digitisation.

© Press Release 2015