Zain takes the capabilities of business pioneers towards new horizons of innovation in the year 2017



KUWAIT: Zain, the largest telecommunications company in Kuwait, supporting the social and economic sustainability fields in the country and beyond, intensified its corporate sustainability initiatives during 2017.

The company’s commitment to its corporate values was again the motive to adopt numerous influential initiatives that had an impact on the community it proudly serves. These ranged from social, economic, cultural, sports, and health programs as well as projects that were aimed at humanitarian work.

Zain launched many charitable and humanitarian initiatives during 2017, that included strategic partnerships with many international, regional and local entities including United Nations High Commission for Refugees, Kuwait Red Crescent Society, Kuwait Relief Agency, Kuwait Food Bank and others.

Zain’s strategy during 2017 relied on a series of initiatives that came within the joint framework with private and public educational establishments in the state with the aim to develop youth’s abilities and skills, including the strategic partnership with the Youth Empowerment Symposium, Kout Market, Loyac program, Injaz Kuwait, the Electronic Taleb Program, Zain youth network program and others.

Zain enhanced its joint cooperation with various pioneering health establishments in Kuwait, be it public or private, through strategic partnerships with the Health Ministry, Central Blood Bank, Salam International Hospital, Dasman Diabetes Institute, Zain Hospital and others, besides launching initiatives that serve environmental fields.

Among the initiatives that Zain Kuwait supported include:

Zain Great Idea

Zain believes in the integral role information and communications technology plays in present-day life, given the country’s bulging youth and tech-savvy ambitious population. Recognizing the necessity to support these business pioneering youth in achieving their ambitions, Zain launched its 4th edition of Zain Great Idea.

This popular accelerator program includes the support, development, preparation to work, and building capabilities of innovative and business-minded youth. Since launching the first edition of the program seven years ago in 2010 until today, the Zain Great Idea Program has become one of the largest integrated program that cares for cradling and launching startup technological projects at the Kuwait level, as Zain attracted hundreds of business pioneers who have promising innovative ideas, and an ambition to enter the business environment through small projects. It harbored and provided them with rich training content according to the highest international standards in the world of business pioneering through it.

4YFN Barcelona

Zain sponsored eight aspiring young Kuwaiti entrepreneurs to attend the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona at its pavilion at the 4YFN exhibition for digital startup innovators. The forum is one of the most notable international events, gathering leading startup entities from across the globe.

This initiative aimed at supporting and introducing startup projects in technological fields and projecting the abilities of Kuwaiti youth in one of the largest international gatherings of major manufacturers, programmers and operators in the information technology field. During the event, the Kuwaiti young entrepreneurs displayed the ideas of their projects, liaising with and showcasing to the international investment society.

Memorandum of understanding with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees

Zain, within its strategic partnership with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, participated in a field visit to Al-Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan within its humanitarian campaign #Zain_with_refugees.

This initiative aims at participating in improving the living, social and health circumstances for refugees and any other individuals whom the commission assists, through providing basic needs, food, healthcare, education and other things. It said this step personifies the cooperation spirit between the private sector and the international establishment at the humanitarian level.

Zain had previously launched an official electronic gateway zain.unhcr.org to allow those who wish to donate to its humanitarian campaign #zain_with_refugees in cooperation with the commission, which aimed at improving the living circumstances for thousands of refugees in the region who are suffering from tough living conditions as the bitter cold of winter was approaching. Donations were collected to secure seasonal cash and winter clothes as well as heaters and other basics families need during the winter season.

Social Responsibility Award

Zain won the gold medal with a certificate of distinction in the field of social responsibility at the Arab region level on the sidelines of a regional symposium and annual celebration held by the Arab Organization for Social Responsibility during its 12th meeting in Dubai.

The prize won for the fourth time was in appreciation of its efforts in the sustainability fields in 2017, which included a number of initiatives and projects it launched and adopted in various vital fields in the society. That besides the strategic partnerships with various establishments both in the public and private sectors to contribute to the development of the society and serve its members.

The Arab Organization for Social Responsibility designated this annual award to shed light on the pioneering establishments and companies in the sustainability fields at the regional level as the celebration witnessed the participation of an elite group of leaders who represent various pioneering entities from both public and private sectors from across the Arab world.

Zain Al-Shuhour Campaign

Zain launched its Ramadan campaign with "Machla Ramadan” during which its voluntary team distributed basic foodstuff to needy families in Kuwait before the arrival of the holy month. Zain volunteers prepared the machla boxes at the company premises, then distributed them to several needy families in various areas of Jahra governorate, in addition to delivering them to Zakat House and KRCS to distribute them to the needy in Kuwait.

Zain launched its annual initiative "iftarsaem” which continued until the last day of Ramadan during which the company distributed meals to the needy during the holy month in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh and Khaitan, covering the most populated areas.

Zain strengthened its strategic partnership with various establishments at the Kuwait level in both public and private sectors in order to achieve its sustainable goals towards the society, which includes its partnership with Zakat House, KRCS, Interior Ministry, Social Affairs and Labor Ministry, Sabah Health Zone Hospitals, Women’s Cultural and Social Society, Najat Charity Society, Kuwait Food Bank and other pioneering entities in Kuwait.

Zain held the Qirqian activity at the Social Care Home that belong to the Social Affairs and Labor Ministry in order to share with orphans, the elderly, and those with special needs the joy of the holy month in cooperation with the home’s administration.

Zain joined sick children in hospitals to celebrate Qirqian during the holy month of Ramadan through the distribution of candy and gifts to sick children, their parents and nurses who are taking care of them in Zain, Amiri, Razi, Ibn Sina and National Bank of Kuwait hospitals.

Generation Z

Zain launched the second edition of its training project for young graduates "Generation Z” in 2017, which aims at investing in young national talent in order to qualify and present a new generation of pioneers to the business environment. Zain selected five young and high-caliber Kuwaiti graduates to join the "Generation Z” program after completing a strict evaluation process that followed several standards that ensures the ideal environment for business pioneers.

The "Generation Z” program concentrated on developing their personal skills in order to strengthen the spirit of cooperation and boost team spirit, in addition to the development of the innovation and creativity spirit.

The "Generation Z” program represents another link in Zain’s programs to support young national talent as it previously launched the "Zainers 2.0” program for graduate youth, which proved successful as many Kuwaiti graduates were appointed in full-time jobs.

The strategic partnership with Injaz

Zain participated during 2017 in the Injaz program for the administration of professional work for school students as Zain employees participated in directing students of the intermediate stage in a professional atmosphere, which contributed to the development of their skills within Zain’s strategy for social responsibility and sustainability, through which it contributes to the development of the youth and education sectors.

Through its strategic partnership with Injaz, Zain seeks to educate and support youth who look forward to developing their ideas and projects according to international standards through a selection of training programs that are organized all year round for university and school students and continually seeks to provide a suitable environment for youth innovations so that they grow and achieve results that add value to the society.

The competition aims at giving students of the university and secondary stages in Kuwait the opportunity to present their ideas and innovative projects that serve various fields, as students learn how to grasp suitable opportunities in the work environment and how to launch products and conduct studies and research before launching the products.

Injaz Kuwait presents educational programs that enhance leadership and organizational skills in the business environment since its establishment in 2005, in order to educate and inspire the next generation in business management. Injaz Kuwait has inspired more than 54,000 students with the help of more than 3,000 volunteers from the Kuwaiti private sector in more than 100 schools and universities.

Kuwait Diving Team

Zain welcomed the Kuwait Diving Team of the Environmental Voluntary Foundation in its main premises, and honored the company for its efforts to safeguard Kuwait’s environment on the occasion of completing 800 sea missions the team carried out onboard the boat the company presented to them in 2003. The missions included the resurfacing of sunken ships and boats as well as removing abandoned fishing nets, in addition to carrying out projects of monitoring coral reefs and removing environmentally harmful debris.

Ramadan Donation Campaign

Zain launched its charity initiative for the second consecutive year through which it donated 500 fils to a charitable organization from every paid bill during the month of Ramadan, as the company donated more than KD 45,000 in the name of its customers for relief efforts and humanitarian activities in cooperation with Sheikh Abdullah Al-Nouri Charity Society.

Al-Roudhan Tournament

Zain was the diamond sponsor of the 38th Ramadan Abdullah Meshari Al-Roudhan soccer tournament for the second consecutive year, which was held under the patronage of HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. Zain showed through its sponsorship of this tournament its keenness on supporting youth and Kuwait sports, which are considered among its strategic priorities in implementing its plans of sustainability and social responsibility, as the tournament of the late Abdullah Meshari Al-Roudhan is the most notable sports event in Kuwait during Ramadan each year.

Women Empowerment

Zain launched the Women Empowerment Initiative in 2017 which aims at taking true steps towards imbalance between the two genders in the business environment and supporting the female element so that women have an effective role in developing and leading the establishment towards achieving its strategic goals.

This initiative was adopted by Vice Chairman of the Board and Group CEO of Zain Bader Nasser Al-Kharafi. This program is of enormous interest to Zain and Kharafi, given that today women account for less than 25 percent of Zain’s workforce - a situation that led him to conclude that decisive action needed to be taken in this area. Championing gender diversity at Zain will create competitive differentiation and ultimately improve the company’s bottom line.

This initiative was revealed during a symposium held by Zain at Symphony Hotel in Kuwait and gathered nearly 300 women from all its operations in the Middle East and Africa with high-ranking leaders headed by Bader Al-Kharafi and a number of executives in Zain companies.

Breast Cancer

Zain organized an awareness activity for its employees at the company’s main premises in Shuwaikh, which is within the framework of its annual campaign to spread awareness of breast cancer, at the start of October. The campaign has continued for the past 10 years and is considered an indivisible part of Zain’s strategy of social responsibility and sustainability. It comes in the international month of breast cancer awareness that is marked in October every year.

The child rescue line

This campaign aims at shedding light and awareness on violence against children, as Zain sought through this initiative to provide a communication line to face this problem in cooperation with the Health Ministry and the National Program for the Protection of the Child. The 147 hotline was designated to receive calls about any violence against children.

In Arabic Initiative

Zain sponsored the activities of the In Arabic initiative that was organized by Kuwait National Library in cooperation with Mohammad bin Rashid Al-Maktoum Foundation for Knowledge, represented by the UAE embassy in Kuwait, on the occasion of the World Arabic Language Day, which falls on December 18 every year.

The activity was attended by Zain Kuwait CEO Eaman Al-Roudhan and the Executive Director of Mohammad bin Rashid Al-Maktoum Foundation Saif Al-Mansouri and Director General of Kuwait National Library Kamel Al-Abdeljaleel. Zain’s sponsorship was out of its keenness on supporting various activities that care for cultural concerns.

Kout Market

Zain entered in a partnership for the fifth consecutive year with Kout Market that aims at gathering local talents in the field of organic agriculture, nutrition and handicrafts that was launched at Shaheed Park. This partnership came within the framework of Zain’s strategy of social responsibility and sustainability towards encouraging local talents to contribute to present a generation of Kuwait youth that is able to share in developing the national economy efficiently.

Marathon 642

Zain sponsored the Gulf Bank Marathon 642 held at Souk Sharq in cooperation with UNHCR. Over 6,000 people of various age groups attended. The platinum sponsorship of the marathon came as an extension of Zain’s strategic partnership with UNHCR, which attended as a main partner in the activity to spread awareness about the campaign of voices of refugees the commission had launched to collect donations through the Internet for Syrian refugees.

The company aims at supporting noble goals and works hard towards supporting many charitable and humanitarian initiatives as an influential economic entity in the country.