Zain KSA is one of the Kingdom’s leading digital providers and an organization driven by a passion for corporate sustainability and innovation. For us, sustainability is rooted in the belief that contributing to the socio-economic development of the Kingdom creates value for all. Our successes as a company, including those related to ESG, stem from our corporate identity which favors sustainable growth coupled with innovation. Zain’s Corporate Strategy, Vision, and Values revolve around innovation, creating value for all stakeholders, sustainability, and customer excellence. Our 4-pillar Corporate Sustainability Strategy addresses:
• Climate Change
• Operating Responsibly
• Inclusion
• Generation Youth
These pillars have been set to achieve meaningful connectivity at the level of ESG and are grounded in Saudi Vision 2030 goals and the UN’s SDGs.
Globally, inequality remains quite prevalent in the ICT sector. However, we decided to change that locally. We were among the first telecom providers to implement diversity and inclusion initiatives, primarily focusing on creating an environment that is equally inclusive and empowering for all and aspiring to alleviate all types of discrimination.
Zain is the first Telecommunication company in the Kingdom to adopt a Women empowerment initiative aiming to increase female leaders and overall female participation in the Kingdom’s ICT sector through a supportive work environment which empowers them in order to not just benefit Zain but society.
Over the last few years, the WE initiative has grown from strength to strength and broadened its focus on gender equality, which is a testament to the level of importance Zain KSA places on uplifting and empowering its workforce. It has spurred many successful programs and initiatives such as the Women in Tech program which continues to be a beacon to women studying STEM majors and who want to enter the ICT field. Zain provides skill development and mentoring programs.

https://sa.zain.com/en/all-news/news-22-3-2023

• Saudi Arabia

• Women

Our Women Empowerment Program has had a tangible and measurable positive impact on our workforce as well as the wider ICT sector. We believe that it is vital that leading successful organizations continue to challenge gender stereotypes, fight prejudice, and equip women with the tools, support, and work environment where they can thrive, innovate and grow.
Our female staff and leaders continue to not only challenge the status quo but smash through the glass ceiling and trailblaze ahead, win awards and get featured in several publications. Our successes can be replicated if the right approach is adopted.

Therefore, what can be learnt from our WE Program is that a successful strategic approach will create positive ROI for an organization, both financially and in terms of creating a diversified and healthy organization culture, which will resonate positively throughout the wider community and country. Instead, of creating random programs or initiatives, inclusion and its related values should be ingrained in your organization.

ESG goals including inclusion should therefore be a core part of operations and a prime consideration rather than an afterthought. Your inclusion policy needs to align with your organization’s intrinsic values and identity; should become a primary factor in your operations. Equally important is to create measurable targets for programs and initiatives in order to track successes and benchmark yourself. Another key to success is to create programs and initiatives that can be repeated annually. This makes it easier to plan for, and helps to create bigger successes and excitement both internally as well as externally for future editions of a program.

By doing so, important sustainable campaigns will continue to bridge the gender divide, empower women, and have a positive halo effect in society where their successes will breed success for others and future generations."

Zain pursues a holistic and strategic approach to its ESG efforts that are grounded in creating measurable progress towards set targets that are in alignment of Saudi Vision 2030 goals as well as the UN SDGs. With regards to UN SDG Goal 5 our Women Empowerment program was one of the first programs in the ICT sector and is one of the most successful ones. Over the last few years, the program has grown and broadened its focus on gender equality which is a testament to the level of importance Zain places on uplifting and empowering its workforce. It spurred many successful programs and initiatives such as Women in Tech which continues to be a beacon to women studying STEM majors and who want to enter the ICT field. Our female leadership programs have helped countless women rise to some of the highest positions in our organization and nation. With regards to Goals 8 and 10 Zain supports the Kingdom’s impressive economic growth and diversification plans of Vision 2030 by actively hiring and developing the skills of locals from all backgrounds and capabilities. This is in line with our ESG pillars supporting inclusion and empowering local Youth. We have developmental programs such as “evolve” which focuses on fresh graduates and “Women in Tech” which support women in universities that focuses on enhancing the skills of Saudis. We are a massive supporter of locally sourced production and investing in adjacent markets including fintech which helps to drive the economy forward. Our fintech, Tamam, supports financial inclusion and empowers people by allowing them to start their own microbusiness or startup through the microloans that they take out. Zain also is a massive proponent of signing MoUs and Agreements with local projects in order to leverage talent, develop skills, and stimulate the economy.