Vodafone in partner market pact with Kuwait-based Zain

The Kuwait company to expand the gourp's presence in the Middle East

Vodafone Group today announced a partner market agreement with Kuwait-based telecom operator Zain Group, which will significantly expand the UK-based group's presence in the Middle East.

Under the non-equity partnership agreement, Vodafone will work with Zain companies in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan and Iraq to provide customers with communications services including voice, data and advanced roaming, Vodafone said in a statement.

The move will complement Vodafone's own regional operations in Egypt and Qatar, it added.

Zain will have access to Vodafone's devices and services in its home markets and become the preferred partner of Vodafone in respect of the agreed areas of cooperation.

With this, Vodafone now has more than 50 partner market agreements.

Vodafone and Zain will work together to provide customers with enhanced network coverage, harmonised roaming rates across multiple countries with greater cost efficiencies and Zain will be able to use the Vodafone brand, the statement said.

"Our agreement with Zain provides an opportunity for Vodafone to build its presence and work with a leading operator in the Middle-East," Vodafone Partner Markets CEO Ravinder Takkar said.

"The partnership with Vodafone will allow Zain to  bring tangible benefits to both its customers and employees," Zain Group Deputy CEO and Chief Operating Officer Hisham Akbar said.

Zain, which operates across the Middle East and North Africa, provides mobile services to over 41.4 million customers and has commercial presence in eight countries. In 2010, Indian operator Bharti Airtel had acquired Zain's operations in 15 countries for over USD 10 billion.