It’s a happy new year for Nokia, as the Finnish vendor said Monday that it has bagged a $1bn contract to deliver kit and services to Saudi Arabian operator Zain.

Nokia Siemens Networks said it has been tapped to supply a full turnkey 2G and 3G mobile network, including core and radio networks, operations and business support systems, applications and managed services to Zain.

Zain, formerly known as the MTC Group, has services in 22 countries across the Middle East and Africa and was recently awarded the third mobile telecoms license for Saudi Arabia.

Late last year, a group of mobile operators announced a substantial investment drive in the continent’s sub-Saharan region. Carriers including MTN, Orange, Vodacom and Zain are to plough more than $50bn into the region over the next five years in a bid to extend mobile coverage to more than 90 per cent of the area’s population. The project will focus on pushing 2.5 and 3G services into the region, boosting internet access as well as voice and messaging coverage.