touch, the leading mobile telecommunications and data operator in Lebanon, managed by Zain Group, hosted its annual iftar dinner in honor of the media, the Ministry of Telecommunications, touch distributors, and touch employees. The event was held in the presence and under the patronage of His Excellency the Minister of Telecommunications, Jamal Jarrah, and recognized the substantial support touch has received from all stakeholders in making it an unparalleled success.

The iftar was held at the Kempinski Hotel in Beirut, gathering a large cross section of touch partners and stakeholders, with the occasion being used to thank each of them for their hard work and dedication to maintaining touch as the leading telecom provider in Lebanon.

Commenting on the celebration, H.E. Minister of Telecommunications Jamal Jarrah said, "touch has been able to successfully maintain its position at the forefront of the telecom sector in Lebanon through hard work and talent. This continues to be made possible by the efforts of the touch team, and through CEO, Emre Gurkan's leadership qualities and working alongside Emre and his management team in the past year-and-a-half, we have embraced digital transformation."

Jarrah continued, "Together with touch, the Ministry of Telecommunications has supported talented Lebanese, including their appearance in international innovation competitions around the world. These pioneers have been able to return home with first prizes and positive recognition for their work in these competitions. This has been facilitated through touch's desire to nurture innovation in the country and foster a strong entrepreneurial ecosystem in Lebanon."

Emre Gurkan Chief Executive Officer of touch said, "I would like to take this opportunity to express my deepest gratitude to all those who support touch and have helped to make it the success it is today. These partners to our success include the media who support us in promoting touch's achievements. Our appreciation must also be extended to the Ministry of Telecommunications. It is through our joint efforts and their commitment to developing the telecommunications sector in Lebanon that we are able to keep striving to offer the most innovative products and services to our customers."

Gurkan continued, "touch's high-speed 4G network covers over 98% of Lebanon's population and we are very pleased with the connection speeds we offer our customers. Data subscribers have increased by 67% since 2013, reaching 1.8 million in April 2018." This represents 76% of total customers, indicative of the data hungry and technology savvy entrepreneurial society present in Lebanon.

On touch's hopes for the future, Gurkansaid, "touch is set to remain competitive and has plans with the Ministry of Telecommunications to further expand its footprint by improving coverage and enhancing its overall quality of service just in time for the busy summer ahead. We embrace digital transformation and it is the basis of our five-year strategy. Our plans are rooted in innovation while fostering a strong entrepreneurial ecosystem in Lebanon."

touch has made it an annual tradition to host an iftar dinner in celebration of the holy month of Ramadan. The iftar reflects gratitude for all of touch's stakeholders and this year's occasion brought to light touch's phenomenal success, which would not be possible without partners' willingness to go above and beyond in helping to establish touch as the leading telecom provider in the country.