Zain Bahrain, a leading telecom services provider, will only have a 'minimal effect' in a Zain Group plan to lay off around 2,000 employees over the next two years, a top official has said.

Zain Bahrain general manager Mohammed Zainalabedin said Bahrain already runs a "lean and keen outfit" and so a planned restructuring of the company's operations will help it grow further.

He was reacting to an announcement, christened Drive 2011, by Zain group chief executive officer Dr Saad Al Barrak who said earlier this week the move will result in Zain reducing its current 15,500 global workforce by 2,000 - a 13 per cent reduction across the board.

"The aim of the Drive 2011 strategy is not to lay-off employees," said Zainalabedin.

"It is aimed at focusing on commercial activities while centralising or outsourcing some back office/non-core functions to strategic partners.

"We have planned to re-structure the company's operations to achieve growth targets and economies of scale," he said.

"That includes improving efficiency levels and may include outsourcing of some functions.”

He said the planned reductions are part of the Zain Group's overall consolidation response that aims to make the operations leaner.

"Zain Bahrain has been the group's model operation in the last few years and already runs a lean and keen outfit," he said.

"We will continue our strong training and human resources programme and are proud that this model organisation is run by more than 90 per cent Bahrainis.

"High performance areas and centres will have only the minimal effect, if at all. However, efficiency is a key success factor for any organisation especially in a competitive environment like Bahrain. We are a people-centric operation and will continue to be so."

Dr Al Barrak said earlier Drive2011 is expected to improve Zain's operating margin by 5 per cent within 12 months and provide the company the necessary thrust to capture the future growth potential of the markets in which it operates. – TradeArabia News Service