Being a global hub leaves the UAE vulnerable to cyber attack – it needs to cultivate world-class expertise at home to shield against this threat

It’s estimated that the UAE is the target of as much as 5% of cyber attacks in the world yet the nation’s population accounts for just 0.08% of the global total.  What accounts for such a disparity?

Despite the domestic stability of the UAE, it is situated in a troubled Middle East afflicted by war, terrorism and political tension.  While geography provides part of the explanation, when coupled with the UAE’s remarkable economic transformation into a global node for finance and trade, the country becomes a prime target for cyber attacks.

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To continue its market success, Zain Group is undergoing a business transformation and expanding into new verticals through partnerships and joint ventures. The telco aims to become a leading digital lifestyle provider and create lasting value for society, delivering positive results for shareholders.

In pursuit of this ambition, Zain has revisited its strategy to have a more concise plan and direction that is centred on “solidifying fundamentals”, “differentiation” and “diversifying revenues”.  The strategy will revolve around six transformational initiatives launched in 2014 to adapt to ongoing challenges. These areas are: customer experience; operational effectiveness; value management; B2B; Digital Frontier and Innovation; and talent development.

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Expo 2020 is now just two years away from being hosted in Dubai, under the main banner of “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future”, and with sub-themes around Sustainability, Mobility and Opportunity. These are highly relevant and emotive topics of discussion and exchange, and early indications are that the Middle East debut of this high-profile international trade show will be a rousing success.

Investment in infrastructure and facilities in preparation for a successful expo continue to be well-documented – from the growth in hotel rooms and extension of public transport networks, to the site itself being prepared to comfortably absorb the anticipated 25 million plus visits.

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Zain Group announces a strategic investment in Nexgen Group, a leading smart city advisory and consulting services provider based in the UAE. The investment will lead to the establishment of a specialised business unit delivering smart city services to governments and mega real estate developers facilitating the deployment of smart city solutions and managed services across Zain’s regional footprint.

The agreement comes exactly twelve-months after a strategic cooperation partnership was announced between the two entities.

Both Zain and Nexgen hold strong opinions that the power of mobile Internet is a driving factor to unlocking the potential of how people live their lives and transforming how they conduct their businesses. The companies are in agreement that with the confluence of smart technologies and services, the Internet of Things and the power of data, smart city developments will enhance the lives of millions of people across the region.

The newly established business unit will focus on delivering smart city solutions and managed services and will include design and integration for applications including smart living in city districts, smart safety and security, smart education and health, and smart metering for the utility sector among others.

Zain Group today reported that for the fourth quarter of 2015 to December 31, the operator recorded consolidated revenues of KD283 million (US$933 million), down three per cent year-on-year in local currency. EBITDA for the quarter amounted to KD127 million, up 7.6 per cent in KD terms for the quarter, reflecting an EBITDA margin of 45 per cent. Net income for the quarter amounted to KD36 million, up eight per cent year-on-year.

For the full-year 2015, Zain Group generated consolidated revenues of KD1.14 billion, down six per cent year-on-year, while consolidated EBITDA for the year reached KD499 million. Consolidated net income was down to KD 154 million, reflecting a 21% slide year-on-year.

Zain served 45.6 million customers at the end of the period, reflecting a three per cent increase year-on-year.