Bader Al-Kharafi says
Zain Group seeks to
harness the power of the
company’s differences
to position it as a global
catalyst for change
Nurturing D&I
Dear Zainers,
Welcome to Zain Group’s inaugural online edition of D&I; a publication that charts
our approach and activities in matters related to diversity and inclusion.
Zain has always believed that its people are the company’s greatest single
differentiator, and as such we take pride in our ongoing efforts to support and
uplift our employees. As we continue to grow and adapt so as to foster a diverse
and inclusive workforce, we seek to harness the power of our differences to
position Zain as a global catalyst for change.
Our strategy affords Zainers the opportunity to think and act with customer
satisfaction and digital innovation at the center of their activities, with new ideas
generated from different sources being the currency that sustains us. Diversity without
inclusion does not go far enough and through awareness, reinforcement, and our
collective approach, our vision of becoming a diverse and inclusive workforce by 2022 is
achievable.
Our diversity and inclusion pillars consist of four strategic programs: WE, our gender
diversity initiative; WE ABLE, our disability inclusive program; ZY, our youth development
program; and ZAINIAC, our internal innovation drive.
The D&I publication is set to offer an overview of our progress, our people and our passion in
building a diverse and inclusive organization, which we hope inspires and educates.
Best wishes,
Bader N. Al-Kharafi
Vice-Chairman and Group CEO
Leadership in action
We are proud to be among the first telecom providers in the region to have established a Diversity
and Inclusion office, as an indicator of how seriously we take the subject of uplifting our entire
workforce and benefiting society.
Under the vision and leadership of Bader Al-Kharafi, the remit of this function is to nurture a
diverse and inclusive culture, and through a series of carefully crafted programs and initiatives,
we are beginning to see the fruits of our labor.
We have witnessed extraordinary achievements since the establishment of our office in 2018,
including the impressive growth in female recruitment, and leadership development under our
WE program. Through our ZAINIAC initiative, we have supported a number of employees in the
establishment of startups in areas of interest to Zain Group, and with ZY, we have entered the fifth
year of our compelling Gen Z graduate development program.
ZY also introduced a regional first with its Reverse Mentoring Program, partnering young recruits within Zain Group with
executive management. Zain is thus well placed to become disability inclusive by 2022 (WE ABLE), having added its
signature to the International Labor Organization’s (ILO) Global Business and Disability Network Charter in 2019.
We are encouraged by the progress achieved to-date and remain focused on building on our early momentum
in order to make Zain a shining example of the over-arching benefits that can accrue to society, employees and
organizations from the dedicated implementation of a forward-looking diversity and inclusion program.
Kind regards,
Maryam Saif
Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer
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