Dubai: Zain, a leading mobile telecom innovator in seven markets across the Middle East and Africa, has been recognized as having the ‘Best Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) Strategy” in the Middle East at the Future Workplace Awards 2022, held in Dubai on 15 November, organized by the UK based Informa Connect, a member of the FTSE 100.

Zain also won the award for “Best Women Development & Leadership Program” at the gala event, solidifying the company’s reputation as being one of the most progressive and inclusive companies to work for.

Future Workplace Awards (formerly known as Middle East HR Excellence Awards) showcases the best human resources (HR) talent in the Middle East and honors HR professionals in government and the private sector for their outstanding contributions in creating a high performing workforce for the future.

Zain operates one of the most comprehensive D&I programs of any organization in the Middle East, which is now in its fifth year. Since its introduction, Zain’s D&I initiative has become a key part of the fabric of the company, transforming how it hires, plans for succession, develops its people, and ultimately creates a vibrant and inclusive culture.

The program focuses on six key pillars: Gender Diversity (WE); Disability Inclusion (WE ABLE); Youth Empowerment Initiatives (ZY); Innovation & Entrepreneurship (Zainiac); Employee Well-being (BE WELL); as well as mentoring (REACH).

Zain’s Diversity & Inclusion team receiving the awards

Zain Group Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer, Maryam Saif commented, “To be recognized as an award-winning Diversity and Inclusion team is testament not only to how much we believe in our purpose, but how relentless we are to push for change within Zain. By nurturing a diverse and inclusive culture, through a series of carefully crafted programs and initiatives, we are beginning to observe significant evolution internally. We seek to harness the power of our differences to position Zain as a global catalyst for change.”

Zain’s internal agenda seeks to promote innovation from within, with the ZY strategy based on critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration. Through Generation Z programs, Reverse Mentoring, and ZY Leadership Development initiatives, Zain’s priority is to prepare young leaders for the future of work. Wellness and inclusion are vital and to truly live its values and deliver on the promise of becoming a fully accessible and inclusive organization, Zain’s BE WELL and WE ABLE pillars aim to deliver on this.

With respect to women development and leadership, Zain set a target to have 25% women in leadership roles against a background of just 14.5% when the program was first introduced. Our focus for Women at Zain is succession, development, and leaders who will role model behaviours for entry level women in tech.

Thanking the judging panel of the Future Workplace Awards 2022 for the recognition of Zain’s efforts in the important areas of diversity and inclusion, Ms Saif added, “Zain will continue investing in its people as upskilling staff, mentoring, and guiding them, allowing them to feel part of something that is greater than themselves, and appreciating their individualism and talents, all help build strong workforces which organizations can ultimately harness and benefit from.”

Zain’s values, of Heart, Radiance and Belonging are ingrained into the company and the culture. It was imperative to integrate the strategy into the DNA of the company for it to be effective and thus Diversity & Inclusion at Zain is closely intertwined with these values, enabling the company to implement its programs and initiatives effectively.

The two prestigious D&I awards follow Zain’s recent recognition by Forbes magazine as Best Employer in Kuwait and among the top-10 companies to work for in the Middle East.