In October 2018, Zain Group announced the establishment of its Zain Drone entity that will provide Drone-as-a-Service (DaaS) to governments and enterprises in Kuwait, with plans to extend its drone services gradually across its regional footprint. Zain Drone is set to unlock opportunities in various industries to fast-track growth and exploit the Internet of Things (IoT) in an efficient, safer and faster way.

Based in Sydney, Australia, and Virginia, USA, Droneshield is a worldwide leader in drone security technology. The Company has developed the pre-eminent drone security solution that protects people, organisations and critical infrastructure from intrusion from drones. Its leadership brings world-class expertise in engineering and physics, combined with deep experience in defence, intelligence, and aerospace.

Bader Al Kharafi, Zain Vice Chairman and Group CEO commented, “The rise of innovative technology such as drones also brings a number of risk and liability challenges for governments and industry. Zain has a substantial market penetration in the region with precisely the kind of customers – civil infrastructure operators, airports, governmental bodies and security agencies, and others – that require counter drone security solutions.”

Al Kharafi added, “We are fielding increasing demand from our customers for comprehensive solutions in this space, and Droneshield’s product range, coupled with our telecommunications expertise, provides exactly what our customers are looking for. Consequently, after an extensive review of the counter drone market, we opted to enter into a teaming agreement with Droneshield.”

Oleg Vornik, Droneshield’s Chief Executive Officer, commented, “The services we have recently provided to a Middle Eastern governmental body has paved the way for a broader effort in the Middle East, and has now established us as the leader in counter unmanned aerial systems space in the region. We are now honoured to partner with one of the largest telecoms in the Middle East, whose customer reach in the areas relevant to our business is substantially more extensive than that of any of our past regional relationships.”