Telecoms firm Zain aborted talks to sell off its African assets at the request of potential buyers of a stake in Zain group.

Last month, Kuwaiti conglomerate Kharafi Group said it had agreed to sell 46% of Zain to a consortium led by India's Vavasi Group.

"Zain's Africa talks are halted for this reason," chief executive Saad al-Barrak told the media and predicted earnings to rise by 30% in 2009.

Zain, which operates in 24 countries, had said it was in talks to sell its African assets - excluding Morocco and Sudan - after French telecoms giant Vivendi broke off talks on buying the operations.

India's Reliance Communications was said to be in talks for the assets.

"Our earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization growth in the first eight months is 33%. This year we do not have losses, we have profits, rewarding profits," said al-Barrak.