Kalaam Telecom, Bahrain’s leading technology solutions provider, has won the award for Best Strategic Acquisition at the 17th annual Global Carrier Awards. Kalaam has been recognised for its strategic acquisition of Zajil Telecom, the oldest and one of the largest ISPs in Kuwait. The acquisition created a combined entity with revenue of more than $100 million, with data centres in five countries, 53 network points of presence (PoPs) in 25 countries, and a unique combination of subsea and terrestrial networks combining three continents.
The addition of Zajil enables Kalaam to leverage a combined international footprint, especially in MENA, to expand its wholesale services across the region and beyond. Its acquisition strategy has created a pan-GCC powerhouse and an innovative international carrier. Kalaam has pursued M&A as a growth strategy over the past 5 years. It acquired Tawasul Telecom in 2018, expanding its network reach across Asia, Europe and the Middle East. Zajil is the fourth acquisition made by the company, as it positions its business as a leading regional enabler of digital transformation.
“We are honoured to be recognised for our acquisition strategy and I would like to thank the Kalaam Telecom team for executing on our vision for digital transformation across the Middle East. I am very proud to be part of this exciting and inspiring journey we are on. We’ve gone from a humble ISP in Bahrain to one of the top 3 ISPs in the GCC. It is a great milestone for our business and testament to the vision of our shareholders and the wider team,” said Veer Passi, Group Chief Executive Officer at Kalaam Telecom.
The Global Carrier Awards are the most prestigious awards in the wholesale telecoms industry. The awards celebrate the biggest accomplishments from across the industry over the last 12 months. This year’s ceremony saw 34 trophies awarded to the top organisations in the telecoms, tech and ICT space.
“As digital adoption grows, Kalaam is providing solutions that enable digital transformation of businesses across markets and offer one consistent experience throughout the region. We are delivering critical solutions for a growing number of customers in local markets, across MENA and globally. This award is a fantastic step on our journey,” said Passi.
The acquisition of Zajil gave Kalaam ownership in the Europe-India Gateway (EIG), a 15,000 km international fibre-optic submarine cable system that links 12 countries across three continents. Kalaam has combined this footprint with its own Kalaam Network Optical Transit (KNOT) terrestrial cable system that spans over 1,400 km and provides low-latency connectivity across the GCC. KNOT has a total capacity of 12.8 Tbps and connects Bahrain, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.
