ZAIN, a leading mobile and data services operator in the Middle East and Africa and iflix, the world's leading Internet TV service for emerging markets, Thursday announced the establishment of their joint venture, ‘iflix Arabia' to bring iflix's world class service to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). iflix Arabia, will be headquartered in Dubai and trade commercially as "iflix", adding Zain's territories of operation to iflix's global footprint, including Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Sudan, with the potential to further extend into additional regional markets. The commercial launch of iflix's Internet TV service across the MENA region is planned for the second quarter of 2017, at which time iflix Arabia will offer consumers across the region and Zain mobile customers its extensive range of thousands of TV shows, movies and more with Arabic and English subtitles, including many first run exclusives and award winning programs. Bader Al Kharafi said, "The establishment of the joint venture ‘iflix Arabia' instantly creates enormous value for both Zain and iflix stakeholders, given the synergies created and the new revenue streams that will be generated by the expected takeup of this appealing internet TV service from the general public and Zain customers. This is a monumental step forward for Zain in our journey to become the premier digital lifestyle provider in the MENA region." Scott Gegenheimer, Group CEO of Zain, commented: "iflix has done an exceptional job in spearheading the entertainment revolution in Asia and truly has an industry leading product. What distinguishes iflix is its constant innovation and commitment to offering its customers an exceptional and entertaining digital experience, which is at the heart of what Zain stands for. We look forward to bringing our 47m customers and regional mobile operations into the iflix footprint." iflix co-founder and Group CEO Mark Britt said: "Zain is a true pioneer in innovation with a deep understanding of the culture and evolution of digital businesses. This collaboration represents an exciting step in iflix's growth story as we launch in the MENA region with a partner who shares our vision and commitment to deliver an outstanding service and create awesome experiences for our customers." John-Paul McKerlie, CEO of iflix Arabia, added: "The teaming of Zain and iflix has empowered both businesses with the capacity to offer customers the most incredible content services. A great mix of local and international catalogues will reach audiences using Zain's leading networks, guaranteeing the best speeds for streaming and user experience, bringing even more content to customers and enhancing their viewing experience. We are very excited about the launch and what it means for our customers and shareholders in the future." iflix Arabia aims to redefine how consumers in the MENA region enjoy entertainment content, with groundbreaking features and continuous platform innovation. The collaboration forms a key pillar for Zain's transformation into a truly digital telecommunications company offering customers an exceptional mobile experience.
