Page 39 - SAMENA Trends - March-April 2022

REGIONAL & MEMBERS UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Zain Publishes Its 11th Annual Sustainability
Report, Entitled 'A Resilient Journey Across a

Challenging Year'

track the progress of Zain's sustainability-
related activities. The vision is to reduce
inequalities, safeguard the planet,
foster innovation, and build prosperous
communities.
Highlights from Zain's 2021 Sustainability
initiatives
Most of the sustainability programs
implemented by Zain in 2021 addressed
the challenges wrought by the pandemic
and the company's response to them:
• Expanding digital financial services,
providing far-reaching benefits to needy
groups within communities in Iraq,
Jordan, Saudi Arabia, South Sudan and
Sudan, reaching a combined customer
Zain Group announces the publication of “Nevertheless, 2021 was a significant base of 1.5 million undertaking 25
its 11th consecutive annual sustainability year for progress with respect to Zain's million transactions with an aggregate
report, entitled 'A resilient journey across sustainability, underscored by the many value of USD 2.3 billion in 2021
a challenging year'. In the report, Zain successfully implemented initiatives • Through its value chain, Zain was able
summarizes its sustainability-related across our footprint, and highlighted to maintain 80,116 jobs.
activities during the year based on its new by the upgraded A-score received from • The annual Zain Ramadan commercial
five-year Corporate Sustainability strategy CDP indicating our regional leadership in partnership with UNICEF entitled,
that is grounded on the UN's Sustainable in addressing climate change.” Jennifer “No one is safe, until we are all safe”,
Development Goals (SDG), with the Suleiman, Zain Group's Chief Sustainability addressed the challenge of vaccine
purpose of being centered on and driven Officer commented “We are all aware of hesitancy across the region, with the
by empowering and establishing long how tumultuous the last couple of years 2.55-minute-long video going viral and
lasting value for the communities it serves. have been to live and work through. Being exceeding 10 million views on YouTube,
The 11th edition of the report showcases a customer-focused organization with as well as on regional satellite and local
how Zain continues to improve and adapt the responsibility to maintain meaningful TV networks
its activities to align to international connectivity and productivity for 7,000 staff • In Kuwait, the Shlonik application
best practices and reporting that follows and 50 million customers in an inclusive created by Zain assisted the Ministry
the GRI Standards Framework. Zain is and equitable manner, was a challenging of Health to ensure residents adhere to
also implementing the Sustainability situation to overcome. The contents of quarantine regulations, with 1.77 million
Accounting Standard Board (SASB) this report highlight how together we people registering on the app.
framework for Telecommunications have managed that responsibility and • Supporting governments, Zain
Services. Both standards are externally supported our communities extremely well organized vaccination drives in markets
assured by Ernst & Young (Al Aiban, Al under the circumstances. We continue resulting in over 12,000 vaccinations
Osaimi and Partners) providing limited to learn and transition across all of our • Fostering the development of women
assurance. Commenting on the publication diverse sustainability activities and are in Science, Technology, Engineering
of the 11th continuous annual sustainability delighted to be pioneering this area across and Math (STEM), Zain launched the
report, Bader Al-Kharafi, Zain Vice- the region.” Zain's five-year Corporate Women in Tech initiative undertaking
Chairman and Group CEO , “Throughout Sustainability strategy formulated in 256 mentorship sessions across its
2021, Zain remained unwavering in 2020 is centered on four pillars: Climate operating markets
its determination to drive equitable Change; Social Business; Inclusion; and • Zain worked with the Canadian Center
systemic change in the communities in Generation Youth. It is based on the for Children Protection to integrate
which it operates by providing access UN's SDGs, aiming to establish purpose- Project Arachnid, software to reduce
to meaningful connectivity, especially in driven activities anchored in meaningful the availability of child sexual abuse
the face of many socio-economic and connectivity to drive equitable systematic material (CSAM) globally successfully
environmental challenges, and lasting change. Qualitative and quantitative integrated in Kuwait and is currently
impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, which targets have been embedded to ensure working on integrating it across other
hinders development across the globe.” measurable metrics are set to assess and markets

39 MARCH-APRIL 2022