About

Zain is a leading mobile telecommunications operator listed on Boursa Kuwait (and on three other regional equity markets) with a market cap totalling over US$8.2bn as of July 2019, counts over 6,200 employees among its ranks and owns or manages operations in eight countries across the MENA region, serving a customer base of over 49 million. Zain has responded to the digital wave reshaping the telecom industry by embarking on an ambitious strategy to transform from a traditional mobile telecom operator into a regional digital communications business, driven by data and pursuing the highest levels of the customer experience. Group general counsel Firas Oggar, a member of the executive leadership team of the Group with a seat on the board of Zain Saudi Arabia, has played an extremely important role in all of these achievements. His position within the company is the culmination of approximately 20 years of professional life which has encompassed notable roles in investment funds, private equity funds, telecoms, manufacturing and conglomerate companies. The telecom industry is in the process of taking important strategic and operational decisions in response to the evolving digital landscape with the view to maximising data opportunities. A pragmatic approach to partnerships is essential to succeed in the new environment, and Oggar has a strategic imperative to support the business on both its digital journey and the roll-out of 5G across Zain’s major markets while ensuring the brand’s reputation is safeguarded. To help manage this demanding brief, Oggar has prioritised excellent internal reporting, which allows the team to demonstrate value to the business, ensuring the team is able to consistently improve service delivery. Oggar is responsible for the end-to-end provision of legal services across the Zain Group and for ensuring such services are delivered in a manner that enables the organisation to maintain leadership in its chosen markets. This is achieved by delivering output of the highest quality that is aligned to the Group vision. A key focus of Oggar’s role has been to minimise legal risk across Zain’s multi-jurisdictional operations and to strike a balance between protecting the organisation’s assets, while at the same time seeking to maximise return for shareholders. In particular, his cross-border dispute and international arbitrations, M&A, and IP and data protection expertise has been put to good use since the beginning of his tenure.