Zain Group and Ooredoo Group have announced a landmark regional agreement to combine their extensive telecommunications tower portfolios totaling over 4,000 communication towers into a newly consolidated, independent infrastructure entity.
Leading telecommunications groups Zain and Ooredoo have finalized a major infrastructure transaction, successfully combining approximately 4,000 passive telecommunications towers into a unified operational framework.
The landmark deal is designed to generate substantial financial value through enhanced scale, capital efficiencies and a streamlined operating model dedicated entirely to passive telecom infrastructure.
Under the terms of the agreement, both Zain and Ooredoo will retain full ownership of their respective active telecommunications infrastructure including core network technology, software systems and proprietary intellectual property required to manage and operate their wireless services.
By consolidating their passive physical assets (such as towers and physical housing sites) into a dedicated operating model, both companies can optimize maintenance costs, reduce redundant capital expenditures and improve overall network efficiency.
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Additional tower portfolios are expected to be integrated progressively into the platform, subject to applicable closing conditions and required regulatory and other approvals.
Bader Al-Kharafi, Vice-Chairman & Group CEO, Zain emphasized the long-term benefits of structural scale and dedicated asset management by saying:
“This first closing of the tower platform marks a defining step in the evolution of digital infrastructure for both Zain and Ooredoo. It reflects our shared strategy of creating focused, scalable and sustainable platforms that unlock greater value from our assets while supporting the reduction of the region’s carbon footprint. We believe this tower platform will play an increasingly important role in strengthening our respective digital foundations and enabling the next wave of connectivity, innovation and economic growth for the communities we proudly serve. We thank the regulatory authorities in Kuwait for their visionary support in the approval process. Completing this first closing marks an important milestone in building a regional tower platform designed to create significant value, with a clear path to expansion through additional market contributions.”
Aziz Aluthman Fakhroo, Group Chief Executive Officer, Ooredoo Group expressed appreciation for regulatory support during the approval process by stating:
“With this milestone, we are now executing across every digital infrastructure segment identified in our strategy as we continue building a leading regional portfolio. We thank the State of Qatar’s Communications Regulatory Authority and the Ministry of Municipality for their support and for contributing to a conducive regulatory environment throughout the approval process.”
The successful integration marks a major step forward in regional telecommunications infrastructure sharing, setting a collaborative precedent for modernizing network assets across participating markets.
