Norton Rose Fulbright advises Zain Group on Ooredoo joint venture to establish a dedicated digital infrastructure platform

Global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright has advised Zain Group (Zain) on joint venture arrangements with Ooredoo Q.P.S.C. (Ooredoo) to establish a jointly controlled tower infrastructure platform that marks a major step in the evolution of both entities' digital landscape.

The initial agreement will combine approximately 3,900 telecom towers from Ooredoo Group and Zain Group's respective portfolios in Qatar and Kuwait. Both Ooredoo and Zain will retain ownership and control of their respective active network infrastructure, including wireless communication antennas, intelligent software, and intellectual property associated with managing their telecom networks. Further tower portfolios of both Groups are expected to be contributed progressively as part of the broader combination, subject in each case to the applicable transaction terms, satisfaction of relevant closing conditions and receipt of required regulatory and other approvals.

The Norton Rose Fulbright team advising on the shareholders agreement was led out of London by partner Mark Maurice and included Amsterdam-based partner Saskia Blokland, counsel Stefanie Walthaus and senior associate Joeri Noteborn.

In a joint commentary, Bader Al-Kharafi, Zain Vice-Chairman & Group CEO, and Aziz Aluthman Fakhroo, MD and Group CEO, said:

"The establishment of MENA Infra marks a defining step in the evolution of digital infrastructure. It reflects our shared strategy of creating focused, scalable and sustainable platforms that unlock greater value from our assets while supporting the reduction of the region's carbon footprint."

They added:

"By bringing high-quality tower portfolios together under a dedicated infrastructure platform, we are creating the scale, operating discipline and investment capacity required to enhance capital efficiency, support the continued expansion of advanced networks, and generate sustainable long-term value for all stakeholders. As the combination progresses, we believe MENA Infra will play an increasingly important role in strengthening our respective digital foundations and enabling the next wave of connectivity, innovation and economic growth."

Norton Rose Fulbright's global digital infrastructure practice regularly advises clients across the world on a broad range of tower, fibre, data centre and other digital infrastructure transactions.