Zain Group announced on April 1 that its brand valuation increased by 16.1 percent in 2026, reaching a record high of USD 4.039 billion. This marks the highest value in the company’s history and represents a year-on-year increase of USD 560 million from the previous year.
The growth in Zain’s brand value highlights its position among leading global telecom brands and reflects continued momentum as it evolves into a technology-focused company. In the Brand Finance Telecoms 150 ranking for 2026, Zain received a Brand Strength Index score of 83.3 out of 100 with an AAA- rating, placing it as the world’s twenty-fifth strongest telecom brand.
According to Zain Group, strong operational and financial performance contributed to this milestone. The company reported its highest revenues in sixteen years during 2025 and significantly increased capital expenditures by forty percent to USD 1.5 billion for network and technology infrastructure upgrades. The group also maintained leadership in fifth-generation (5G) networks across four markets—Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Bahrain—with Kuwait being among the first globally to launch advanced services.
Bader Al-Kharafi, Zain Vice Chairman and Group CEO said: “As one of the region’s most admired and recognizable brands, this milestone reaffirms Zain’s four decades of leadership in mobile and ICT innovation. Nearly two decades after the launch of the Zain brand in September 2007, our continued rise in brand value reflects the passion, creativity and strategic investment that have shaped a bold and progressive identity built on compelling customer experiences.”
Al-Kharafi added: “Our ‘4WARD-Progress with Purpose’ corporate strategy, anchored in innovation and digital transformation, has inspired a multitude of award-winning campaigns and industry-leading initiatives across Sustainability, Inclusion, Diversity and Equity. These efforts have fostered deep trust and affinity among our customers and employees alike.” He further said: “Our ranking as the number one telecom company and among the top three employers across the MENA region on Forbes’ annual World’s Best Employers list for 2025 reflects our commitment to building a thriving, diverse and inclusive workplace comprised of eight thousand talents.”
Looking ahead, Al-Kharafi said: “Today, Zain connects and empowers fifty point nine million customers across its eight markets… The four billion views and one point five billion interactions achieved during twenty twenty-five reaffirm the strength of our advertising… positioning Zain as one of the region’s most loved brands.”
The achievement is attributed to strategic investments underpinned by customer focus initiatives such as Customer Delight; digital expansion; purpose-driven action; collaborative growth; network investment; sustainability progress; digital innovation; talent development; social media engagement; advertising effectiveness; enterprise solutions; fintech platforms; ICT ventures; digital lifestyle services—all contributing toward making Zain future-ready.
