LG Uplus Opens Export Route to Middle East for AI Agent 'Iksio' [MWC On-site]

Business Agreement Signed at MWC25 for Global AI Expansion
Exploring the Launch of IXIO in the Middle East
Developing Customized IXIO Using Local Telecom Data
Aiming for Saudi Arabia Launch Within This Year
Domestic Android Version of 'IXIO' Unveiled
"We Will Go Global With Differentiated AI Competitiveness"

LG Uplus is collaborating with Zain Group, the largest telecommunications operator in the Middle East, to expand its artificial intelligence (AI) agent service ‘IXIO’ into the Middle Eastern market. On the 5th, LG Uplus and Zain Group announced that they signed a business agreement for the global launch of the AI service ‘IXIO’ at the 'Mobile World Congress 2025 (MWC 2025)' held in Barcelona, Spain, on the 4th (local time). The signing ceremony was attended by LG Uplus Consumer Division Head Jaewon Lee and Zain Group Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Mohamed Abdulaziz Alnuaizidi, among other representatives from both companies.

Zain Group is a telecommunications operator established in 1983, headquartered in Kuwait. It provides telecommunications services in five Middle Eastern countries (Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan) and three African countries (Morocco, Sudan, South Sudan).

Through this agreement, LG Uplus will collaborate to launch the AI service ‘IXIO’ in the countries where Zain Group provides telecommunications services. Zain Group plans to utilize IXIO’s on-device AI technology (which runs AI directly on devices such as smartphones, tablets, PCs, and smartwatches) to offer services including ▲real-time voice phishing detection ▲visual caller ID ▲call recording and summarization ▲post-call search information provision.

As the first step for IXIO’s entry into the Middle East, LG Uplus plans to collaborate with ‘Zain KSA (Zain Saudi Arabia)’, which provides telecommunications services in Saudi Arabia. Zain KSA is the third-largest telecommunications operator in Saudi Arabia with approximately 8.7 million customers. It is attempting to integrate IXIO into its telecommunications services in line with the Saudi Arabian government’s AI promotion policies.

LG Uplus intends to combine its proprietary AI capabilities and IXIO service expertise with the data held by Zain KSA to develop and provide locally customized services. Both companies plan to continue their collaboration aiming to launch the IXIO service in Saudi Arabia as early as this year.

Jaewon Lee, Vice President and Head of the Consumer Division at LG Uplus, said, “We will strive to create synergy with Zain Group in the AI agent service sector based on the strengths of IXIO, an AI service that users can trust and use safely.” He added, “LG Uplus will continue to secure differentiated AI service competitiveness and collaborate with various global operators to expand this into the global market.”

Mohamed Abdulaziz Alnuaizidi, CTO of Zain Group, stated, “Zain KSA aims to provide the best customer experience by linking advanced networks with new technologies and will work to enhance digital experiences using AI in line with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 project.” He added, “We will continue to cooperate by introducing LG Uplus’s IXIO so that Saudi Arabian customers can use key AI features, including real-time voice phishing detection.”

On the 3rd (Korean time), LG Uplus launched the Android version of IXIO, marking the start of expanding its domestic user base. The IXIO Android version, initially released for Galaxy S25 series customers, added an ‘AI Search’ feature that searches for specific place names, locations, and nearby restaurants mentioned during calls and provides information in the form of ‘YouTube Shorts,’ in addition to existing features such as ‘real-time voice phishing detection,’ ‘call recording and summarization,’ ‘visual caller ID,’ and ‘call answering on behalf of the user.’ LG Uplus plans to continue expanding the supported devices to allow IXIO to be used on other Galaxy models beyond the Galaxy S25 series in the future.