Zain KSA, leading provider of telecommunications and digital services in Saudi Arabia, has won the Connected World KSA Award in the Next-Gen Talent & Inclusion category during the Connected World KSA 2025 conference held in Riyadh on November 18–19. The recognition reflects the company’s sustained leadership in developing national talent and embedding inclusion at the heart of its sustainability strategy. These efforts align with the Human Capability Development Program under Saudi Vision 2030 and emphasize youth development and enhancing female participation while ensuring equal access to opportunities across the community.

Zain KSA’s achievements in recent years underscore the impact of these priorities. Women now represent 20% of Zain KSA’s workforce following the hiring of 560 female employees between 2017 and 2024 and hold 44% of executive leadership roles. The company further strengthened its future-talent pipeline, with 960 of its 1,500 employees receiving training. Among them, 150 women completed specialized development programs. Zain KSA continues to foster an inclusive workplace, currently employing 23 persons with disabilities. It also expanded the impact of programs that support senior individuals and children through tailored digital-skills initiatives. These efforts reaffirm Zain KSA’s commitment to cultivating a sustainable talent ecosystem that drives digital transformation and enhances social participation among all groups.

Zain KSA’s impact extends beyond its workplace to the Saudi community through nationwide training and qualification programs. In 2024, more than 140,000 young men and women benefited from the Wad program. The Women in Tech initiative provided practical training to 150 female university students, while more than 170,000 recent graduates participated in the Evolve on-the-job training program. Additionally, more than 29,000 young beneficiaries gained essential digital knowledge, tools, and skills.

Loluwah AlNowaiser, Executive Vice President of Human Resources at Zain KSA, commented:
“Empowering national talent is central to Zain KSA’s strategy. We believe that investing in human capabilities and ensuring access to opportunities are key drivers of innovation and competitiveness as they place Saudi people at the core of our journey to shape society’s digital future.”

Zain KSA has previously earned significant recognition in local talent development. It has twice received the Labor Award for job localization and won the Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion Award for the Middle East and North Africa from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). These accolades reaffirm Zain KSA’s pivotal role in developing national capabilities and creating an inclusive, sustainable workplace that provides training and development programs inspired by Saudi talent.