Zain wins Syria's 25-year mobile licence with a USD 747 million bid

Kuwait's Zain Group has been awarded a 25-year mobile telecommunications licence in Syria following a tender bid of USD 747 million. The award replaces the network previously operated by MTN, and Zain has committed more than USD 800 million over the coming decade to expand and modernise it, including 5G and AI supported services.

The licence will be held through a new operating entity in which Zain takes 75 percent and the Syrian government retains 25 percent. Commercial launch is targeted for the first quarter of 2027, subject to completion of regulatory and licence conditions.

For the supply chain, a network overhaul on that scale is a multi-year procurement programme rather than a single tender: radio access equipment, transmission, power systems and battery backup at every site, civil works, and the logistics to reach sites across every governorate.

Ramico has served the Syrian mobile sector for years, carrying out fibre works between exchanges and mobile sites across Aleppo, Damascus, Homs, Hama and Tartus, and supplying power continuity and solar charging systems for communication sites.

Vendors positioning for this cycle can speak with us.