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Zain publishes 14th annual sustainability report, titled ‘The New Paradigm Shift’

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KUWAIT: Zain Group, a leading provider of innovative ICT and digital lifestyle communication services operating in eight markets across the Middle East and Africa, released its 14th annual sustainability report, entitled: ‘The New Paradigm Shift,’ reflecting the company’s dedication to responsible business practices. Zain remains one of the most transparent and accountable corporate entities in the entire Middle East and North Africa region with respect to the publication of its sustainability programs and their outcomes. As in previous years, the report reflects Zain’s commitment to meaningful connectivity that leads to equitable systemic change and empowers the communities that Zain proudly serves, which is at the center of Zain’s Corporate Sustainability strategy on development and economic empowerment.

‘The New Paradigm Shift’ highlights the numerous sustainability programs and their outcomes implemented under the four pillars of Zain’s corporate sustainability strategy – namely ‘Climate Change; Operating Responsibly; Inclusion; and Generation Youth’; that embrace and emphasize the material importance to the company of addressing issues related to preserving the planet and safeguarding it for future generations; access to connectivity and reducing the digital literacy gap; displacement; as well as employee development and social well-being, given the rise in geo-political and economic issues regionally.

Commenting on the publication, Zain Group Chief Sustainability Officer, Jennifer Sulieman said, “We are in an era of technological innovation that allows us to develop and introduce initiatives that are the most impactful they have ever been. Zain takes responsibility as a regional pioneer in bringing the latest technologies that drive positive societal development and meaningful connectivity across our footprint.”

Suleiman continued, “What Zain does matters, and we continue to implement ESG principles, climate action, children rights, displacement, connectivity, advancing digital transformation, literacy, and stakeholder collaboration to build resilience, so that amid socio-economic challenges and regional conflicts, Zain may remain a beacon of hope, delivering life-changing solutions for the benefit and upliftment of current and future generations.”

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Key highlights

During 2024, the company’s agenda continued to be driven by efforts to address socio-economic and environmental challenges across its footprint. Zain cemented the four pillars of its sustainability strategy through a comprehensive engagement process with various stakeholders. These included:

Climate Change: Focused on decarbonizing the business and transition towards Net-Zero by 2050 by receiving official approval from SBTi on its Net-Zero targets, Zain developed its water management plan to the unique conditions of each country operation. The plan detailed specific measures aimed at improving water usage across all of Zain’s markets that saw the company achieve a 5.89 percent reduction of water consumption in comparison to 2023.

Furthermore, Zain continued in its commitment to CDP and provided its Climate Change Action, demonstrating a commitment to biodiversity conservation and nature preservation as integral components of its broader dedication to climate action. For example, Zain Omantel International (ZOI) requires its partners to conduct thorough environmental impact assessments aligned with regulatory and international standards.

Operate Responsibly: Embedding Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles across the entire value chain, the company further developed and scaled the supplier training program, launching its second training video highlighting the importance of upholding human rights, promoting ethical labor practices, as well as setting up grievance mechanisms.

Zain trained 185 suppliers in 2024 in Zain’s Supplier Code of Conduct, human rights and anti-corruption. Additionally, Zain continued its Supplier Self-Assessment questionnaire process with 604 suppliers groupwide to validate their commitment and alignment to sustainability policies and ethical principles. In addition, the company continued to contribute to employment opportunities through Zain’s distribution channel, in 2024 the company generated around 114,000 jobs across its value chain.

Inclusion: Aiming to reduce the digital inequality gap, the fourth cycle of ‘Women in Tech’ program launched in Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Sudan to better address the needs of the target community through focus groups, surveys, and feedback sessions. A total of 485 young women joined the program across the Group, reflecting a 16 percent increase from 2023.Similarly, to better serve customers from the disability segment, the company provided specialized bundles for this demographic in Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

Zain continued to place a high priority on enhancing the skills of its employees either by upskilling or reskilling its workforce in line with the company’s 4 SIGHT digital transformation strategy. The Zain Inclusion, Diversity, & Equity University (IDEU) continued its collaboration with the prestigious IE University in Spain with the aim of extending learning opportunities to 2,000 Zain employees to participate in an inclusive online Digital Transformation program, also offering the possibility of attaining a master’s degree.

Generation Youth: Aimed at building resilience across communities by targeting 16 million children and youth, the company was recognized amongst 3,000 of the largest corporations globally on key children’s rights categories, whereby the company scored higher than the sector and industry averages, tripling the ranking of many regional corporates. In the benchmarking rankings, Zain scored 8.4/10 overall against a sector average of 5.6/10 and a regional average of 2.8/10. The average of all companies benchmarked was 4.3/10.

As an advocate for children’s rights and in alignment with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 16.2, which aims to end all forms of violence against children by 2030, Zain continued to support the cause by introducing a powerful campaign in response to the rising global violence that is impacting children disproportionately. This initiative followed the escalating crises and conflicts worldwide, where children are bearing the brunt of severe hardships and violence, affecting their physical and mental well-being.

The campaign, titled #EveryChildHasRights, was designed to highlight the critical threats faced by children in conflict-affected regions and support for their protection. It included a compelling video underscoring the urgent need to safeguard children’s rights, engaging audiences in meaningful and emotional dialog. Through this campaign, Zain aimed to create a global call to action and foster a deeper understanding of the pressing issues at hand.

The campaign successfully garnered 16.5 million impressions across Zain’s footprint during 2024, amplifying its message and driving significant awareness on this crucial issue. Also in 2024, Zain launched a two-phase campaign on excessive screen time focusing on both children and parents, reaching 43.9 million impressions and prompting 82 percent of viewers to set screen time boundaries. Polls undertaken of the successful campaign indicated a 100 percent increased awareness on managing screen use.

Moreover, Zain continued its partnership with Child Helpline International (CHI), advancing its three-year MoU to support and improve the effectiveness of child helplines across Zain’s footprint. This collaboration strengthens engagement between helplines and key child protection stakeholders, including governments and regulators, while advancing platform technologies and expanding services to instant messaging and social media.

Towards the end of 2024, Zain unveiled a new enhanced five-year corporate strategy, ‘4WARD-Progress with Purpose’. The new program builds on the success of the 4SIGHT strategy and is focused on continuity, acceleration, collaboration and innovation, and is designed to foster value creation by accelerating the company’s evolution from a predominantly mobile centric operator into a purpose driven and sustainability focused technology entity. Zain looks to maximize its full potential as a customer-centric, future-proof, and impactful leading regional TechCo conglomerate, and its sustainability strategy will be adapted accordingly. ‘The New Paradigm Shift’ is accessible in a digital-only format and can be downloaded here.

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Kuwait population reaches 5.099 million; Budget revenues could hit KD 18.276bn

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KUWAIT: The total population in Kuwait reached approximately 5.099 million people by the end of June 2025, marking a growth of about 2.2 percent—or an absolute increase of around 111,000 people—compared to the end of 2024 when the population was 4.988 million, according to the data released by the Public Authority for Civil Information. The PACI has released the latest detailed data on population and labor statistics as of the end of June 2025.

The proportion of Kuwaitis in the total population also dropped— from about 31.7 percent at the end of the first half of 2024 to around 30.4 percent according to the latest figures. The number of Kuwaiti males, at approximately 776.7 thousand, slightly exceeds that of Kuwaiti females, at around 773.9 thousand. Meanwhile, the number of non-Kuwaiti residents increased by about 189.3 thousand people, representing a growth rate of approximately 5.6 percent, bringing their total to around 3.548 million. The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of the non-Kuwaiti population from 2015 to June 2025 was about 2.0 percent.

The total number of workers in Kuwait reached approximately 3.142 million, representing about 61.6 percent of the total population. For Kuwaiti citizens, the employment-to-population ratio stood at about 31.7 percent of the total Kuwaiti population. Notably, the percentage of employed non-Kuwaitis out of the total non-Kuwaiti population was around 74.7 percent. When compared to the end of June 2024, the share of Kuwaiti workers within the total workforce in Kuwait decreased from about 16.6 percent to approximately 15.6 percent in June 2025.

Additionally, the proportion of female workers among the total Kuwaiti workforce declined to around 49.3 percent by the end of the first half of the current year, down from 51.2 percent in June 2024. Female workers made up around 30.3 percent of the total workforce in Kuwait. The number of employed Kuwaiti nationals declined by approximately 15.2 thousand, bringing the total to around 491.1 thousand workers, down from about 506.4 thousand at the end of June 2024. Of these, about 392.9 thousand were employed in the government sector, accounting for 80.0 percent of all working Kuwaitis. This figure differs from the 83.8 percent reported by the CSB, both entities being government institutions, which may be due to the inclusion of unemployed individuals or those on waiting lists in the latter’s figures.

It is believed that the number of openly unemployed Kuwaitis slightly increased to around 30.7 thousand individuals, representing approximately 6.2 percent of the total Kuwaiti labor force by the end of June 2025, compared to about 29.9 thousand or 5.9 percent at the end of June 2024. The total number of workers (both Kuwaiti and non-Kuwaiti) in the government sector reached about 520 thousand, which accounts for roughly 16.5 percent of the total population. Kuwaitis made up approximately 75.6 percent of all employees in the public sector.

Kuwait oil price edges up

By the end of July 2025, the fourth month of the current fiscal year 2025/2026 had concluded. The average price of Kuwaiti oil per barrel for July was around $71.4, an increase of $1.5 per barrel or by 2.2 percent compared to the June’s average of $69.9 per barrel. It was also higher by $3.4 per barrel or by 5.0 percent, compared to the new assumed price in the current budget which is set at $68 per barrel. When comparing this figure to the approved expenditures of KD 24.538 billion, it is likely that the general budget for the current fiscal year 2025/2026 will record a deficit of KD 6.262 billion. However, the dominant factor remains the developments in oil revenues and the potential for savings in expenditures.

Furthermore, the average price of Kuwaiti oil per barrel for the elapsed period of the current fiscal year stood at $69, that is lower by $10.7 or by-13.4 percent compared to the average price per barrel of the previous fiscal year 2024/2025, which was around $79.7. It is also lower by $21.5 or by 23.7 percent, compared to the breakeven price in the current budget at $90.5, according to estimates by the Ministry of Finance and following the suspension of the 10 percent deduction from total revenues for the Future Generations Reserve. It is assumed that Kuwait generated oil revenues of KD 1.352 billion in July. Assuming that production levels and prices remain unchanged, an assumption that may not hold, total oil revenues for the entire current fiscal year are expected to reach KD 15.350 billion after deducting production costs.

This figure is around KD 45 million higher than the estimated amount in the current fiscal year’s budget, which is at KD 15.305 billion. With the addition of around KD 2.926 billion in non-oil revenues, the total budget revenues for the current fiscal year would amount to KD 18.276 billion. An announcement was made on July 22, 2025, regarding the actual budget deficit (the final account) for the previous fiscal year 2024/2025, which amounted to KD 1.056 billion. However, the detailed figures of that final account have not yet been published, making it difficult to analyze the situation.

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NBK sponsors the ‘Green Adventure’ program in collaboration with LOYAC

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KUWAIT: As part of its strategic partnership with LOYAC, and within its ongoing commitment to youth and society development, NBK sponsored the “Green Adventure” program aimed to build future leaders. The “Green Adventure” program, which is a unique initiative that combines physical and educational sustainability-related activities, took place in Portugal for seven days.

Through interactive theoretical sessions and practical field activities, the program targeted instilling values of environmental responsibility and sustainability for the youth to become future leaders and change makers. In the program, the students learned sustainable natural landscape and garden designing, in addition to applying sustainable daily agricultural practices to make a positive environmental impact.

The adventure opened many golden opportunities for the participants, such as exploring Portugal’s charming nature, diverse wildlife, and unique environmental systems. They also visited the ancient Moorish castle, and they were able to build connections with same-interest individuals and experts in the field, in addition to achieving a deeper understanding of the relationship between nature and society.

This sponsorship comes as an emphasis of NBK’s leadership in social responsibility and its commitment to investing in future generations, as it firmly believes in the effectiveness of such initiatives that contribute to shaping deeper understandings of global environmental issues, which consequently builds a generation that is strongly aware and capable of facing future sustainability-related challenges.

Additionally, NBK highlights the importance of private sector and non-profit organizations collaborations that aim to achieve sustainable development, and this sponsorship is part of a wider strategy that supports initiatives of youth education and environmental development for a better future for Kuwait and the region.

In this light, NBK will continue to promote social responsibility and support all society’s segments and non-profit organizations, particularly those institutions and programs that care for the youth and address their needs and requirements for a better future, as it strongly believes in the effective role of these programs in serving society and people. LOYAC is a non-profit organization that aims to support the youth by providing training opportunities and specialized educational and volunteer development programs.

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Kuwait Acting PM, FM receive Antigua and Barbuda’s FM

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KUWAIT: Kuwait’s Acting Prime Minister Sheikh Fahad Yusuf Al-Sabah receives on Wednesday at Bayan Palace, in the presence of Foreign Minister Abdullah Al-Yahya, Antigua and Barbuda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Trade, and Barbuda Affairs Everly Paul Chet Greene, along with his accompanying delegation. --KUNA

KUWAIT: Kuwait’s Acting Prime Minister Sheikh Fahad Yusuf Al-Sabah receives on Wednesday at Bayan Palace, in the presence of Foreign Minister Abdullah Al-Yahya, Antigua and Barbuda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Trade, and Barbuda Affairs Everly Paul Chet Greene, along with his accompanying delegation. –KUNA

KUWAIT: Kuwait’s Acting Prime Minister Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef Al-Sabah received on Wednesday at Bayan Palace, in the presence of Foreign Minister Abdullah Al-Yahya, Antigua and Barbuda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Trade, and Barbuda Affairs Everly Paul Chet Greene, along with his accompanying delegation, on the occasion of his visit to the country. During the meeting, the two sides reviewed bilateral relations between the two countries and ways to strengthen them, in addition to exchanging views on issues of mutual interest.

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During the meeting, they reviewed the close bilateral relations between the two friendly countries and the frameworks for strengthening and developing them in various fields, in addition to discussing regional and international developments and the developments taking place in the region. — KUNA

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