Bahrain subscribers of Zain will now be able to make calls at local rates and receive them for free while in Saudi Arabia, it was revealed on Tuesday.

This has been made possible with the company launching operations in the kingdom and announcing 'integration' with its 'One Network' mobile service.

Zain Bahrain general manager Mohammed Zainalabedin said the official inclusion of Saudi Arabia in the network coincided with the service launch in that country.

"This means the One Network platform is now available to over 45 million customers," he said during a Press conference at the Ritz-Carlton Bahrain Hotel and Spa.

"Our Saudi customers have joined those in Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan and Sudan to access each other seamlessly across national borders at local telecom rates, along with seven African countries which joined the platform earlier this month."

He said the move dramatically widens the reach of One Network.

"Given the strategic importance of Saudi Arabia to the region and especially to Bahrain which shares deep social, cultural and trade ties with its giant neighbour, One Network will serve to improve every sphere of activity between both countries."

He said with Bahrain's growing significance as a business and financial hub in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region, the recent addition of Zain Africa countries to the One Network chain has increased communication convenience.

He said the One Network service is automatically activated when Zain customers from the countries on the network cross borders, thus enabling them to stay in touch with friends, colleagues and family members at a reduced cost.

"One Network allows Zain's pre-paid and post-paid customers to make calls and SMS at local rates and receive incoming calls free-of-charge," he said.

"In addition, pre-paid customers can top-up their mobile phone credits with locally purchased Zain scratch cards."

He said there is no need for pre-registration, no extra fees, no roaming deposits and no complicated dialling formats.

"Zain customers will also continue to have access to all of their home country services no matter which Middle East or African One Network country they are in."

He said these will be routed to their home network call centre where they can speak to a service agent in their own dialect.

"One Network is about our ability to translate the latest technology into useful services and products that link the world and improve quality of life." Also present at event were the Iraqi Ambassador Ghassan Mohsin Hussein and the Sudanese Ambassador Bishri Al Shaikh Dafaallah. Company network director Esam Zainal and roam manager Ayman Al Alawi also addressed the media. - TradeArabia News Service