Middle East operator group Zain reported a 17 percent increase in net income to US$506 million for the first half of 2011, on revenue up 2 percent to US$2.38 billion. The company said the figures do not take into account the capital gains made from the sale of its African assets to Bharti Airtel in the second quarter of 2010. The company’s managed active customer base increased by 16 percent year-on-year to reach 39.6 million, with strong growth reported in Saudi Arabia and Sudan.