Zain KSA has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the National Environmental Recycling Company (Tadweer) for recycling electronic waste. This comes within Zain KSA’s corporate and social sustainability policy, and in line with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 to improve the quality of life and protect the environment, and with the "Saudi Green" and " Middle East Green" initiatives launched by HRH Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense.

The MoU sets the framework for achieving several goals: protecting the environment in the Kingdom, spreading the concept of recycling electronic waste in the community, and complying with the security and confidentiality of information stored on the devices by destroying the data once the devices are received.

Commenting on the initiative, Zain KSA’s Chief Communications Officer Mr. Rayan bin Abdullah Al Turki stated that the agreement truly reflects the company's efforts to be a pioneer in corporate sustainability, taking into account the requirements of a better quality of life. He said: “As a leading national company, at Zain KSA we are committed to protecting the well-being of community members, based on our responsibility in implementing economic and social sustainability initiatives, in line with Saudi Vision 2030’s goals for a more vibrant and sustainable society, and in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).”

On his part, Managing Director of Tadweer Mr. Nasser AlDueb stated that the agreement is part of the efforts of the Kingdom's government to achieve the SDGs and contribute to the fulfillment of the Saudi Green initiative which calls for transforming waste management from landfills to recycling, aiming to reach environmental sustainability and effectively contributing to the Kingdom’s circular economy, where the recycling of electronic waste is one of its key enablers. The company contributes to increasing exports and enhancing the Saudi national economy by exporting recycled output to the European, Asian and other global markets, or converting them into energy where they can be re-introduced into the industry and thus re-contributing to the economy. "Our tasks will focus on transporting and destroying electronic and electrical waste in line with the applicable standards, as we are also obligated to protect the confidentiality of the information inside the devices. Zain KSA will obtain an official, sealed certificate confirming that the destruction process ran in accordance with the applicable environmental standards."

It is worth noting that Zain Group joined the global Climate Change index of the
Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), attaining a Management Scope ‘B’ rating, making it
the highest-ranked and only telecom operator in the Middle East and Africa to
achieve this mark after successfully meeting the requirements stipulated by the CDP
for membership. On a parallel note, Zain KSA continues to develop its corporate
sustainability efforts where it has co-sponsored the National Olympiad for Scientific
Creativity (Ibda’a) and partnered with “Mentor Saudi” to develop programs and initiatives that empower young Saudis, nurture their life and career skills, and
encourage them to pursue innovation and creativity, to consequently enhance their
participation and impact in social work and human development endeavors.