Zain Kuwait reported a 73% year-on-year increase in net profit attributable to shareholders for the first half of 2026, with investment gains contributing more to the rise than its core telecom operations.
Net profit reached KWD220.2M ($713M), up from KWD127.3M ($412M) a year earlier. Gains from realised and unrealised investments in securities rose more than fivefold to KWD126.4M, compared with KWD22.2M in H1 2025. According to the company’s financial statements, the investment income mainly came from unrealised gains on equity investments held through a fund.
Zain’s telecom business also grew, but at a slower pace. Group revenue increased 5.2% to KWD1.137B ($3.69B), while operating profit rose 7.2% to KWD199.6M ($652M). Operating cash flow remained broadly stable at KWD287.1M ($938M), compared with KWD288.5M a year earlier.
The company is also expanding its regional footprint. On June 30, 2026, Zain announced that it had secured a 25-year mobile operating licence in Syria for $747M. Zain will hold a 75% stake in the new operating entity, with a Syrian government entity owning the remaining 25%. Commercial operations are expected to begin in the first quarter of 2027.
The board approved an interim cash dividend of 17 fils per share, a 70% increase from the first interim dividend of 2025.
Source: An-Nahar
