Research firm Ovum recognizes Zain-Uber partnership as the most innovative service across the globe

- Deal singled out from 82 innovative services launched by mobile operators
- A first for the Middle East, alliance offers both Zain customers and Uber partner drivers exclusive benefits
- Ovum: 'For Uber it was important to cooperate with a telco that has a powerful, wide-reaching and superior network quality across the region'

Kuwait City - 29 November, 2015

Zain Group, a leading mobile telecom innovator in eight markets across the Middle East and Africa, is pleased to announce that its partnership with Uber- the technology company that is evolving the way the world moves, has been recognized by global renowned research company Ovum, as its most innovative service for November 2015. Ovum reviewed 82 innovative services launched by service providers around the world in its Telco Services Innovation Radar monthly summary, and deemed the Zain-Uber alliance as the most innovative stating, 'It is not often that we find a strategic partnership that can bring so many key benefits for operators.'

Announced in September 2015, the first of its kind collaboration in the region saw Zain becoming Uber's main mobile service provider for any future Uber services in any country where Zain operates. Ovum identified that for Zain, Uber's continual growth across the region is a bonus having the potential to create incremental revenues, attract new customers, and increase customer loyalty.

The partnership is currently operational in Bahrain, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, offering Zain customers discounted and preferential services when using the Uber platform locally and when travelling abroad. The partnership is set to be expanded to other Zain markets in due course including Kuwait, which recently offered travelling customers to the USA, UK and UAE a free ride for first time Uber users.

Ovum stated Uber could be looking at this partnership as a way to recruit drivers in countries where Zain operates, with exclusive phone and data deals being an attractive prospect to potential drivers, further supporting the extension of Uber's service to a wider user base as it rapidly expands across the region.

Additionally, Ovum noted that, 'It was important for Uber to cooperate with a telecom operator that had a powerful, wide-reaching and superior network quality across the region, acknowledging Zain's customer scale as important to the partnership.

Commenting on the recognition, Zain Group CEO, Scott Gegenheimer said, 'As we transform Zain into a digital services company, partnering with leading technology providers such as Uber is a key component of our strategy. Innovation has been central to Zain Group's evolution, and we are gratified to see our initiatives being recognized by global research companies of the stature of Ovum.'

Gegenheimer continued, 'The telecom eco-system is undergoing rapid change, and partnerships are going to play a significant role in defining the telcos that will remain successful into the future. We are very proud of our relationship with Uber, and look forward to continuing to drive the value and service proposition for our customers.'

Humbled by the recognition, Majed Abukhater, GM for Uber said the coming together of two of the leading innovation brands in the region is further testament to Uber's commitment to drive innovation and bring a positive change in the way people work, live and ride.

'The Middle East and North Africa is one of Uber's fastest growing regions, a situation that's likely to continue over the foreseeable future. With a mobile penetration rate of almost 100 percent on a regional level; and more than 71 million active users of social networking technologies, these numbers are expected to reach in the vicinity of 200 million by 2017. Against this backdrop of sustained technological progress and increased broadband penetration we are pleased to work with companies like Zain to share best practices and leverage the use of our technology platforms to recognize the potential for increased efficiency and greater ease of collaboration that disruptive technologies can present.'

Majed concluded, 'All said, disruptive technologies like Uber represent a sense of opportunity in the region to complement and aid its growth.'

The partnership with Uber is an example of Zain's strategy to offer innovative services to its customers and bring new business models to its markets, further building on the establishment of the Zain Digital Frontier and Innovation (ZDFI) business unit, which is charged with launching Zain into the digital space. ZDFI focuses on the areas of innovation; digital services; corporate venturing; and smart cities.

The Ovum report on the Zain -Uber partnership can be downloaded from the Zain Group website -click here. For more information on the specific benefits that each particular Zain operation offers in partnership with Uber, please visit the country's respective websites or call the local customer service. ENDS

About Zain Group: Zain is a leading telecommunications operator across the Middle East and Africa providing mobile voice and data services to over 45.6 million active customers as of 30 September 2015. With a commercial presence in 8 countries, Zain operates in: Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, 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 Uber: Uber is evolving the way the world moves. By seamlessly connecting riders to drivers through our apps, we make cities more accessible, opening up more possibilities for riders and more business for our partner drivers and transport operators. Uber's rapidly expanding global presence continues to bring people and their cities closer and is currently providing service in nearly 356 cities across 60+ different countries. In the Middle East and North Africa, Uber is present in in Amman, Alexandria Bahrain Beirut, Cairo, Casablanca, Dammam, Dubai, Abu Dhabi Doha, Jeddah, Riyadh, The Eastern Province, Mecca and Medina with plans for expansion across the Middle East. To request a ride, users must download the free application for Android, iPhone, Windows Phone, Blackberry 7, or sign up at uber.com/app.
For more information, please visit: uber.com/cities.

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