What is Zain?
Zain is a mobile telecommunications company, founded in Kuwait in 1983. As the region's first mobile operator, Zain is a pioneer in mobile telecommunications in the Middle East.
Zain is now transitioning to go beyond its role as a telecommunications company and become a digital service provider.
Zain's vision is to become the leading provider of innovation and digital lifestyle communications by providing the best and simplest experience to its customers.
Zain is passionate about customer experience, operational effectiveness, business growth, and the development of its people internally as well as human development everywhere.
7 Countries
Zain operates across 7 countries in the Middle East and Africa and also has a ZainTech office in Dubai.
47.8 MILLION
Active Customers
7900
Employees
Intro to Zain's Context
Inclusion, Diversity and Equity (IDE) at Zain
Zain is among the first telecom providers in the MENA region to establish an Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity office. This initiative serves as an indicator of how seriously Zain takes the subject of uplifting their entire workforce and benefiting society. Under the leadership of Zain Vice-Chairman and Group CEO, Bader Al-Kharafi, the remit of this office is to nurture an IDE culture. Through a series of carefully crafted programs and initiatives, Zain has now also positioned IDE as a strategic imperative within its groupwide company strategy. Zain has always believed that its people are its greatest single differentiator: This belief is put into practice as Zain continues to grow and adapt to foster an inclusive and diverse workforce, seeking to harness the power of its employees' diversity to position Zain as a global catalyst for change.
Zain's Key IDE Initiatives at a Glance
- Zain Youth (ZY) programs recruit and integrate high-potential youth.
- Women Empowerment (WE) programs provide structured acceleration, succession, and retention initiatives for women.
- The Employee Resource Group (ERG) of individuals with disabilities leads disability inclusion efforts to embed inclusion into product innovation and market strategy.
- The well-being program BE WELL works to enhance productivity and foster a sense of purpose among employees.
- The Inclusion, Diversity, & Equity University (IDEU) has provided 2,000 employees with opportunities to further their education in digital transformation up to the master's level.
Zain believes that the impact of its IDE programs directly strengthens business performance, market competitiveness, and overall operational efficiency.
Where is Zain on Their IDE Journey?
The formation of the Women Empowerment (WE) Advisory team enabled Zain to lead a groupwide transformation for its WE program, driving cultural change, leadership development, and the advancement of women in technology. Following a comprehensive assessment of Zain's previous initiatives, the team developed a strategic plan to accelerate progress. The team established two strategic initiatives as an outcome: NOVA for Women in Technical Roles and WE SUCCEED.