Yaqoot, the digital platform of Zain KSA, has entered a partnership with Huawei to overhaul its Business Support Systems (BSS), in a move aimed at boosting operational efficiency and delivering a more personalised, data-driven customer experience.

The collaboration reflects a broader shift among telecom operators towards modern, software-driven infrastructure capable of supporting increasingly complex digital services and evolving consumer expectations.

At the core of the partnership is the modernisation of Yaqoot’s BSS, systems that underpin critical telecom functions such as billing, charging, customer management, and service delivery.

By adopting Huawei’s next-generation BSS solutions, Yaqoot aims to transition to a more agile operating model, enabling faster responses to market changes and reducing the time required to launch new products and services.

What you need to know 

The upgrade is also expected to streamline internal processes through automation and improved system integration, allowing the platform to operate more efficiently at scale.

“This partnership is part of our ongoing commitment to developing an integrated, customer-centric digital experience that is more flexible and easier-to-use,” said Njoud bint Mohammed AlShehri, Executive Vice President of Strategy and Innovation, Zain KSA.

“Yaqoot is focused on building a modern digital model that keeps pace with our customers’ evolving expectations through strengthening our innovation capabilities and responsiveness and leveraging the latest technologies.”

She added that the initiative is designed to strengthen innovation capabilities while ensuring the company can keep pace with rapidly evolving customer expectations.

Driving personalisation and data-led growth

Beyond operational improvements, the partnership is heavily focused on enhancing the end-user experience. With advanced analytics capabilities embedded into the upgraded BSS, Yaqoot will be able to generate deeper insights into customer behaviour and preferences.

This, in turn, is expected to enable hyper-personalised offerings, tailored pricing models, and more intuitive customer journeys across digital touchpoints.

Users will also gain greater control over their services through a more seamless and integrated platform, an increasingly important factor in competitive telecom markets where customer experience is a key differentiator.

Huawei, which brings extensive experience in telecom software systems, sees the collaboration as part of a wider industry transition towards intelligent, AI-driven operations.

“Huawei boasts profound expertise in the BSS domain, particularly in telecom rating and billing,” said John Zhuang, Vice President at Huawei Software. “Together with Yaqoot and Zain KSA, we’re pioneering next-gen monetization, jointly creating new digital and intelligent industry value.”

The company notes that its BSS platforms currently serve more than 2.5 billion subscribers globally, underscoring the scale at which such systems are now deployed.

Expanding a long-standing partnership

The agreement builds on a nearly two-decade relationship between Huawei and Zain KSA, during which both companies have collaborated on large-scale telecommunications infrastructure projects.

“Our nearly 20-year partnership with Zain KSA reflects a consistent track record of delivering impactful communications technology projects at scale,” said Marwan Aldaamseh, Account General Manager, Huawei Saudi. “We are confident that this next phase will further strengthen our strategic partnership and unlock new avenues for growth and innovation.”

Aligning with Vision 2030 ambitions

The partnership also aligns with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 strategy, which prioritises digital transformation, economic diversification, and the development of advanced technology ecosystems.

By modernising its digital infrastructure, Yaqoot is positioning itself to play a more active role in the Kingdom’s evolving digital economy, particularly as demand grows for flexible, app-based telecom services and personalised digital experiences.

For Zain KSA, the move signals a continued investment in next-generation technologies aimed at maintaining competitiveness in a rapidly shifting industry.

As telecom operators increasingly transition into digital service providers, the ability to integrate advanced analytics, automation, and AI into core systems is becoming essential, not only for efficiency, but for unlocking new revenue streams and long-term growth.

A race towards digital-first telecom models

The Yaqoot–Huawei partnership highlights a broader industry trend that the transformation of telecom companies from connectivity providers into fully integrated digital platforms.

While the success of such initiatives will ultimately depend on execution, adoption, and measurable improvements in customer experience, the direction is clear.

Operators that can modernise their core systems and leverage data effectively are likely to gain a competitive edge.

For Yaqoot, the challenge now lies in translating technological capability into tangible user benefits, faster services, more relevant offerings, and a seamless digital experience that meets the expectations of a digitally native customer base.

Talking Points

It is notable that Yaqoot’s decision to upgrade its Business Support Systems signals a deeper shift beyond incremental improvement, reflecting how telecom operators are re-architecting their core infrastructure to remain competitive in a digital-first market.

This move positions Yaqoot to respond more quickly to changing consumer demands, particularly as users increasingly expect flexible, personalised, and app-driven telecom services.

At Techparley, we see this partnership as part of a broader industry transition, where the real battleground is no longer just connectivity, but the ability to deliver seamless digital experiences powered by data and intelligent systems.

The focus on advanced analytics and automation is particularly significant, as it enables Yaqoot to move towards hyper-personalisation, an area that is fast becoming a key differentiator in customer retention and revenue growth.

At the same time, improving backend efficiency through modern BSS infrastructure could translate into faster service delivery, reduced operational costs, and shorter time-to-market for new offerings.

As Yaqoot scales this initiative, there is a strong opportunity to deepen its ecosystem through partnerships in fintech, content, and digital services, further enhancing its value proposition.

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