SR.No: 19
Zain Group
Sector: Telecommunications
Date of Establishment: 1983
Country: Kuwait
Group CEO and Vice Chairman: Bader Nasser Al-Kharafi
Sales: $5.4 billion
Profits: $692.5 million
Assets: $16.3 billion
Market Value: $8.8 billion
Zain operates across eight countries in the Middle East and Africa, serving around 48.5 million active customers, and employing more than 7,500 people. In 2020, the company launched commercial 5G services in Bahrain, and completed the sale and leaseback of Zain Kuwait’s 1,620 towers for $130 million. The Kuwait Investment Authority is a major shareholder, owning 24.2% of the company as of March 2021. Group CEO and Vice Chairman Bader Nasser Al-Kharafi is also the chairman of the board of Boursa Kuwait, and a member of the board for the UN High Commission for Refugees.