Zain Omantel International takes home four major industry awards
Reinforcing its role as Mideast's Connectivity Powerhouse
DUBAI: Zain Omantel International (ZOI), the joint venture between Zain Group and Omantel, has earned four prestigious international awards – underscoring its position as a connectivity powerhouse in the regional and global wholesale telecom arena.
The Carrier Community Global Awards (CCGA) recognized ZOI for its unique model integrating terrestrial and subsea infrastructure across eight markets, awarding: - 'Best Data Connectivity Innovative Provider of the Year'– for advancing pan-regional connectivity with integrated subsea-terrestrial networks and high-capacity solutions for hyperscalers and carriers. - 'Best Subsea Cable Operator of the Year'– for its leadership in subsea investments, including strategic participation in G2A, AAE-1, and Oman Australia Cable. - 'Middle East Regional Connectivity Operator of the Year'– for delivering the only fully operator-owned pan-Middle East fibre network, with a continuous footprint linking the Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea, and Red Sea across key markets.
CCGA honors outstanding achievements in the telecom wholesale industry and its ecosystem of partners worldwide. Evaluated by a panel of global telecom experts from more than 100 companies and awarded organizations that demonstrated excellence in innovation, capacity, and connectivity solutions. Furthermore, at the Global Brand Awards 2025, ZOI was named 'Best New Telecom Connectivity Brand – Middle East'. The Global Brand Awards are presented by Global Brands Magazine, a UK-based publication that receives over 8 million annual views and is recognized for honoring excellence across branding, leadership, and innovation across various sectors worldwide.
Launched in May 2023, ZOI unites Zain Group's regional scale and digital leadership with Omantel's global infrastructure, combining over 20 international subsea cable systems with expansive terrestrial reach. Sohail Qadir, CEO of ZOI commented, 'These awards reflect ZOI's unique role as a driver for innovation in local and global connectivity. We operate the region's highest-ranked IP network, as measured by CAIDA, and continue to invest in both terrestrial and subsea cable infrastructure shaping how the Middle East connects with the world.'
Sohail Qadir concluded: 'ZOI's success is driven by our unmatched ability to connect key markets and global hubs through resilient international subsea and regional terrestrial infrastructure. We enable connectivity providers to execute seamless, high-performance strategies that drive socio-economic growth. In doing so, we reinforce the Middle East's position as a global digital hub and accelerate how organizations connect, scale and innovate.'
• Carrier Community Global Awards and Global Brand Awards 2025 recognize ZOI's innovative subsea and terrestrial networks
• ZOI's impact on regional and international connectivity reinforces the Middle East's position as a global digital hub empowering organizations to scale and innovate
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Kuwait Times
10 hours ago
- Kuwait Times
Zain Omantel International takes home four major industry awards
Reinforcing its role as Mideast's Connectivity Powerhouse DUBAI: Zain Omantel International (ZOI), the joint venture between Zain Group and Omantel, has earned four prestigious international awards – underscoring its position as a connectivity powerhouse in the regional and global wholesale telecom arena. The Carrier Community Global Awards (CCGA) recognized ZOI for its unique model integrating terrestrial and subsea infrastructure across eight markets, awarding: - 'Best Data Connectivity Innovative Provider of the Year'– for advancing pan-regional connectivity with integrated subsea-terrestrial networks and high-capacity solutions for hyperscalers and carriers. - 'Best Subsea Cable Operator of the Year'– for its leadership in subsea investments, including strategic participation in G2A, AAE-1, and Oman Australia Cable. - 'Middle East Regional Connectivity Operator of the Year'– for delivering the only fully operator-owned pan-Middle East fibre network, with a continuous footprint linking the Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea, and Red Sea across key markets. CCGA honors outstanding achievements in the telecom wholesale industry and its ecosystem of partners worldwide. Evaluated by a panel of global telecom experts from more than 100 companies and awarded organizations that demonstrated excellence in innovation, capacity, and connectivity solutions. Furthermore, at the Global Brand Awards 2025, ZOI was named 'Best New Telecom Connectivity Brand – Middle East'. The Global Brand Awards are presented by Global Brands Magazine, a UK-based publication that receives over 8 million annual views and is recognized for honoring excellence across branding, leadership, and innovation across various sectors worldwide. Launched in May 2023, ZOI unites Zain Group's regional scale and digital leadership with Omantel's global infrastructure, combining over 20 international subsea cable systems with expansive terrestrial reach. Sohail Qadir, CEO of ZOI commented, 'These awards reflect ZOI's unique role as a driver for innovation in local and global connectivity. We operate the region's highest-ranked IP network, as measured by CAIDA, and continue to invest in both terrestrial and subsea cable infrastructure shaping how the Middle East connects with the world.' Sohail Qadir concluded: 'ZOI's success is driven by our unmatched ability to connect key markets and global hubs through resilient international subsea and regional terrestrial infrastructure. We enable connectivity providers to execute seamless, high-performance strategies that drive socio-economic growth. In doing so, we reinforce the Middle East's position as a global digital hub and accelerate how organizations connect, scale and innovate.' • Carrier Community Global Awards and Global Brand Awards 2025 recognize ZOI's innovative subsea and terrestrial networks • ZOI's impact on regional and international connectivity reinforces the Middle East's position as a global digital hub empowering organizations to scale and innovate
Arab Times
2 days ago
- Arab Times
Japanese company blames laser tool for its 2nd crash landing on the moon
TOKYO, June 24, (AP): A laser navigating tool doomed a Japanese company's lunar lander earlier this month, causing it to crash into the moon. Officials for ispace announced the news from Tokyo on Tuesday. The crash landing was the second for ispace in two years. This time, the company's lander named Resilience was aiming for the moon's far north in Mare Frigoris, or Sea of Cold. NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter relayed pictures of the crash site last week where Resilience and its mini rover ended up as wreckage. Company officials blamed the accident on the lander's laser range finder, saying it was slow to kick in and properly measure the spacecraft's distance to the lunar surface. Resilience was descending at a rapid rate of 138 feet (42 meters) per second when contact was lost, and crashed five seconds later, they said. Bad software caused ispace's first lunar lander to slam into the moon in 2023. Like the latest try, the problem occurred during the final phase of descent. Of seven moon landing attempts by private outfits in recent years, only one can claim total success: Firefly Aerospace's touchdown of its Blue Ghost lander in March. Blue Ghost launched with Resilience in January, sharing a SpaceX rocket ride from Florida. Aside from Texas-based Firefly, only five countries have pulled off a successful lunar landing: the Soviet Union, the U.S., China, India, and Japan. And only the U.S. has put astronauts on the moon, back during NASA's Apollo program more than a half-century ago. Despite back-to-back losses, ispace is pressing ahead with its third moon landing attempt in 2027, with NASA cooperation, as well as a fourth planned mission. Extra tests and improvements will add as much as 1.5 billion yen (more than $10 million) to the development costs, officials said. CEO and founder Takeshi Hakamada stressed that his company "has not stepped down in the face of setbacks" and is looking to regain customers' trust. Outside experts will join the accident review, and ispace will collaborate more closely with the Japanese Space Agency on technical matters. "We're firmly taking the next step toward our future missions,' he said in Japanese.
Kuwait Times
2 days ago
- Kuwait Times
Airlines weigh Middle East cancellations after US strikes
American, European carriers cancel flights to Gulf • BA cancels London flights NEW YORK: Airlines on Monday were weighing how long to suspend Middle East flights as a conflict which has already cut off major flight routes entered a new phase after the US attacked key Iranian nuclear sites and Tehran vowed to defend itself. Cancellations in recent days to typically resilient aviation hubs such as Dubai, the world's busiest international airport, and Qatar's Doha by international carriers show how aviation industry concerns about the region have escalated. The usually busy airspace stretching from Iran and Iraq to the Mediterranean has been largely empty of commercial air traffic for 10 days since Zionist entity began strikes on Iran on June 13, as airlines divert, cancel and delay flights through the region due to airspace closures and safety concerns. Finnair was the first to announce a prolonged suspension of flights to Doha, with cancellations until June 30. Leading Asian carrier Singapore Airlines, which described the situation as 'fluid', moved to cancel flights to Dubai through to Tuesday, having previously cancelled only its Sunday service. Air France KLM, IAG-owned Iberia and British Airways, and Kazakhstan's Air Astana all cancelled flights to either Doha or Dubai both on Sunday and Monday. Air France also cancelled flights to Riyadh and said it would suspend flights to and from Beirut, Lebanon until Wednesday included. A spokesperson for Iberia said the carrier has not made a decision regarding later flights. BA said its teams were keeping the situation under review. Carriers are likely avoiding airports in UAE and Qatar and, to a lesser extent, Kuwait, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, due to concerns that Iran or its proxies will target drone or missile attacks on US military bases in these countries, aviation risk consultancy Osprey Flight Solutions said. With Russian and Ukrainian airspace also closed to most airlines due to years of war, the Middle East had become a more important route for flights between Europe and Asia. Amid missile and air strikes during the past 10 days, airlines have routed north via the Caspian Sea or south via Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Added to increased fuel and crew costs from these long detours and cancellations, carriers also face a potential hike in jet fuel costs as oil prices rise following the US attacks. Australia-based Flight Centre Travel Group said it is getting a small number of customer requests to route journeys to Europe away from Middle Eastern hubs. 'The most common transfer hubs that we're seeing requested are Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Johannesburg, or even direct between Perth and London,' said Graham Turner, CEO of Australia-based Flight Centre Travel Group. Airspace risks Proliferating conflict zones are an increasing operational burden on airlines, as aerial attacks raise worries about accidental or deliberate shoot-downs of commercial air traffic. Location spoofing and GPS interference around political hotspots, where ground-based GPS systems broadcast incorrect positions which can send commercial airliners off course, are also a growing issue for commercial aviation. Flightradar24 told Reuters it had seen a 'dramatic increase' in jamming and spoofing in recent days over the Gulf. SkAI, a Swiss company that runs a GPS disruption map, late on Sunday said it had observed more than 150 aircraft spoofed in 24 hours there. Safe Airspace, a website run by OPSGROUP, a membership-based organization that shares flight risk information, said US attacks on Iran's nuclear sites could heighten the threat to American operators in the region. This could raise additional airspace risks in Gulf states like Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, it said. In the days before the US strikes, American Airlines suspended flights to Qatar, and United Airlines and Air Canada did the same with flights to Dubai. They have yet to resume. While international airlines are shying away from the region, local carriers in Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq are tentatively resuming some flights after widespread cancellations. Zionist entity is ramping up flights to help people return home as well as leave. A handful of so-called rescue flights landed in the country on Monday morning, with 24 in total scheduled for the day. The country's Airports Authority said that airlines would resume outbound flights on Monday, with a limit of 50 passengers. Airline El Al on Sunday said it had received applications to leave the country from about 25,000 people in about a day. BA cancels flights Meanwhile, British Airways cancelled flights between London's Heathrow Airport and Dubai and Doha on Sunday following US strikes on Iran and fears that the situation in the Middle East could deteriorate. 'As a result of recent events, we have adjusted our flight schedule to ensure the safety of our customers and crew,' a BA spokesperson said, confirming that outgoing and incoming flights between Heathrow and Dubai or Doha were cancelled. A British Airways flight from London Heathrow to Dubai was diverted to Zurich on Saturday night, according to the tracking website Flightradar24. The BA website showed no flights available for Sunday or Monday when AFP checked for those routes, but flights were still available from Tuesday onward. BA did not confirm when the flights would resume, but said it would keep the situation under review. The airline typically flies three times a day between London Heathrow and Dubai, and two times to the Qatari capital. The US carried out strikes against Iranian nuclear sites overnight Saturday to Sunday after over a week of deadly missile exchanges between Zionist entity and Iran. Zionist entity closed its airspace after it launched a bombing campaign against Iran on June 13 - briefly reopening it on Sunday for repatriation flights. Several airlines last week cancelled flights to Tel Aviv, Tehran and other Middle East destinations, with Iraq, Jordan and Syria also closing their airspaces at the start of the latest fighting. Emirates and Qatar Airways were still running flights from Heathrow to Dubai and Doha. — Agencies
