Zain KSA, the leading telecommunications and digital services provider in Saudi Arabia, has signed the ‘Sustainability Champions Initiative charter, a pivotal initiative spearheaded by the Ministry of Economy and Planning. The signing ceremony took place during the World Economic Forum's Special Meeting, held in Riyadh. Recognized as one of the Kingdom's sustainability pioneers, Zain KSA has been selected among the top 22 national companies for its unwavering commitment to sustainable practices. As part of this initiative, Zain KSA pledges to extend support to at least three companies within the ICT sector, providing knowledge transfer and capacity-building programs to enhance their sustainability performance.

Zain KSA's inclusion in the Sustainability Champions Initiative is a testament to the company's remarkable accomplishments in fostering a comprehensive sustainability culture, demonstrating its robust sustainability strategy, and embedding the Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) principles into its core operations. Zain KSA seamlessly aligns its sustainability roadmap with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and Saudi Vision 2030, committed to empowering the Kingdom's digital transformation journey.

Eng. Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al-Deghaither, CEO at Zain KSA, said: “We are delighted to be among the selected national companies to sign the 'Sustainability Champions Initiative' charter, rooted in our astute leadership’s commitment to embedding sustainability into every aspect of life. At Zain KSA, we uphold a genuine sustainability strategy, underscored by four key pillars: Climate Change, Operating Responsibly, Inclusion, and Generation Youth. Through this strategy, we are proud to contribute to national efforts to achieve comprehensive sustainability goals. Signing the initiative enables us to leverage our sustainability expertise and empower fellow national companies to develop and implement their own sustainability strategies. This collaboration strengthens our collective impact on achieving national goals, positioning Saudi Arabia as a sustainability leader and a pioneering model for collaborative progress that drives nationwide prosperity.”

Eng. Al-Deghaither added: "We're eager to share our knowledge and expertise in crafting sustainability strategies and implement them into our operational processes and expansion investments. Zain KSA was honored to lead the way in green technology adoption across the Kingdom, as demonstrated by our launch of the world's first zero-emission 5G network at the Red Sea. This achievement underscores our commitment to innovation and cutting-edge technologies while providing a practical solution to tackle a pressing global concern—the significant technical challenges posed by carbon emissions in the ICT sector."

The ‘Sustainability Champions Initiative’ is a cornerstone of the Private Sector Sustainability Strategy, spearheaded by the Ministry of Economy and Planning. Designed to drive the Kingdom's sustainability objectives, this strategy endeavors to reinforce the private sector resilience and cultivate innovation across sustainability domains. Through this initiative, a concerted effort will be made to foster widespread adoption of sustainable practices among Kingdom-based companies while simultaneously providing a platform for collaboration and knowledge-sharing among established entities and those aspiring to enhance their sustainability practices.