Zain Bahrain, a major telecom services provider, and US-based UrFilez, a digital media download and social networking company, have partnered to offer full online music services, targeting the local music scene.

Through partnership with Zain Bahrain, UrFilez (urfilez.com) is offering rich, local music of the Middle East, Africa and South Asia to Zain's Bahrain customers and is also rolling it out to the rest of the Middle East and Africa.

UrFilez carries more than 5,000 local artists including DJ Outlaw, El Ekhwa. Nancy Ajram, Hayfa Wahbi, Ragheb Alama, Rashed Al Majed, Miami Band, Samo Zain, Samira Said, Amr Mostafa and Esam Karika – all of which are available to Zain Bahrain customers for as little as 0.400 Bahraini fils ($1.06) per download either billed to the customers accounts or deducted from the customers’ credit.

'We are excited to work with UrFilez and offer their innovative service to our users. Through our partnership, our users will be able to access their favorite local artists and can even buy music using the mobile phone payment system,' said Zain Bahrain’s marketing director Emad El Kayali.

'Zain's goal is to provide the consumers with the best services using the latest technology. We plan to roll–out UrFilez services to our remaining territories in the coming months,” he added.

Zain Bahrain's special projects manager Bashar Al Alami said: 'The Zain–UrFilez partnership will bring the latest music hits to customers and keep them linked in a mobile social network that has music as a common passion. Our cutting–edge technology will enable hundreds of music–loving Zain customers to share a common passion. We are sure the service will bring music to our customers' ears in more ways than one!”

'Through UrFilez, music lovers everywhere will be able to access their favourite local artist and share their love of music with other fans,” said UrFilez founder and CEO Hassan Miah.

“We plan to unite all the music lovers of the emerging markets through music and our technology,” he added.

Additionally, UrFilez offers a global showcase for up–and–coming, unsigned music artists and allows users to post ratings and reviews and share files. UrFilez also offers a recommendation engine which identifies its users' music preferences to continually improve itself.

'UrFilez is yet another example of Zain Bahrain's unceasing quest for value–added services and our ability to offer customers services that will enhance their lifestyle,' said El Kayali. – TradeArabia News Service