Telecom network operator Zain Group has posted revenues of KD 277 million (nil growth) or $919 million and net income of KD 37 million (–9 percent) or $124 million in the first quarter of 2016.

The company has 45.5 million customers.

Due to its investments in 3G and 4G LTE network– especially in Jordan and Saudi Arabia — and upgrades, Zain Group achieved 8 percent growth in data revenues (excluding SMS and VAS), representing 21 percent of the Group’s revenues.

Zain Group CEO Scott Gegenheimer said: “Our data monetization initiatives on multiple fronts are bearing fruit across all key markets and we draw confidence from the 8 percent growth in the uptake of data services, which now account for 21 percent of overall service revenues.”

Zain Group in a statement today said its data revenue was 35 percent of total revenues in Kuwait, 8 percent in Iraq, 12 percent in Sudan, 31 percent in Saudi Arabia, 32 percent in Jordan and 37 percent in Bahrain.