The first closing brings together tower assets in Kuwait and Qatar as the two telecom groups advance plans for a shared infrastructure business spanning six markets. 

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Zain Group and Ooredoo Group have completed the first phase of their regional tower transaction, bringing approximately 4,000 telecom towers in Kuwait and Qatar under a jointly owned platform. Announced on October 22, 2026, the deal combines the tower portfolios of Zain Kuwait’s ITK and Ooredoo Qatar’s Al Abraj, with each group holding a 50% stake. The platform will focus on passive telecommunications infrastructure and is expected to provide infrastructure-as-a-service as additional assets are integrated. 

The agreement is part of a wider plan to consolidate approximately 30,000 towers across Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, Iraq, Algeria, and Tunisia. The initiative dates back to 2023, when Zain, Ooredoo, and UAE-based TASC Towers Holding signed definitive agreements to establish a regional tower company. The original proposal was valued at approximately US$2.2 billion and projected annual run-rate revenue of US$500 million across the planned portfolio. 

A Shared Infrastructure Model 

For telecom operators, tower ownership involves ongoing costs beyond construction, including site access, power and maintenance. Since multiple operators can often use the same physical sites, a dedicated tower platform can reduce duplicated infrastructure investment and create opportunities to lease capacity to additional customers. The model also gives tower assets a distinct operating structure, separate from the mobile services that depend on them. 

Zain and Ooredoo will retain their respective active network infrastructure, including the technology, software, and intellectual property required to operate their mobile networks. Their telecom businesses will continue to operate independently, while the tower platform manages the underlying physical assets. The initial transaction advances a plan first announced in 2023, with further tower portfolios expected to join progressively. 

The companies have also linked the partnership to improved capital efficiency and a lower carbon footprint. Sharing sites may reduce infrastructure duplication, although the actual financial and environmental benefits will depend on how the platform operates. Neither group has disclosed quantified savings or emissions reductions attributable to the first closing. 

The Next Stage of Regional Expansion 

Regulatory approvals have been an important part of the transaction’s progress. In September 2026, Ooredoo announced that the groups had received approval from Kuwait’s Competition Protection Authority for the economic concentration associated with their tower joint venture. The wider rollout will proceed in phases, with further asset contributions subject to the remaining transaction conditions and applicable approvals in each market. 

The initial 4,000 towers give the partnership an operating base, but the broader plan will depend on integrating additional portfolios and establishing a sustainable business across six markets. Tower sharing will not, by itself, improve mobile speeds or coverage, which still depend on spectrum, radio equipment, and backhaul capacity. Its immediate purpose is to change how the physical infrastructure supporting those services is owned and managed, while giving both groups the opportunity to expand the platform beyond their existing assets. 

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