Ali Al Zahid, CEO, Zain Iraq said that the International Finance Award represents a new recognition to their ongoing efforts and initiatives enabling Iraqis, mainly youth, to innovate and effectively contribute to the digital transformation.

Fueled by the Zain Group’s experience and strategic partnerships with technology giants, Zain Iraq fuels growth among all target segments by offering its leading 4.5G+ infrastructure across the country.

Zain Iraq has made tremendous progress in the field of digital transformation by providing cutting-edge fourth-generation services. A major milestone in the digital space was the launch of ‘oodi’. Zain also offers a wide range of digital services, including innovative mobile apps and services in sectors such as entertainment and gaming.

Zain Iraq has a long history of diversity and inclusion activities that align with the Group’s vision. The leading operator has introduced a number of initiatives aimed at fostering innovation, creativity, and communication both within the company and in the areas where it works. These programs are as follows:

WE Gender Diversity
Aiming to achieve gender equality across its working environment, Zain Group launched the WE Gender Diversity program in November 2017, an empowerment program that focuses on enhancing diversity and inclusion within the company. Inspired and driven by Zain’s core values of investing in the communities it operates in, the WE Gender Diversity program aims to ensure equal opportunities between both genders to increase the number of females in leading and senior positions and provide them with the ability to evolve, thrive, and succeed at equal rates to their male counterparts. Additionally, the program helped change mindsets regarding teamwork, education, and specialties to foster more diversified growth potential for both men and women.

The WE Gender Diversity program was initially launched with the strategic goal of increasing female presence in leadership positions and roles from 14.5% to 25% by the year 2025 and laying down a foundational roadmap in achieving a gender-diverse workforce.

WE ABLE
Zain launched the WE ABLE program in Q4 of 2019 to integrate people with special needs within all areas of its business environment, and positioning Zain as a disability-inclusive group by 2022. The program plays a vital role in paving the way toward the economic empowerment and financial inclusion of persons with disability, providing them with the space to conveniently access work opportunities and adapt to the workplace in a way that enables them to achieve financial independence.

WE ABLE has helped Zain create more valid and viable job opportunities for people with disabilities, providing them with social protection and necessary training, transforming workplaces to be more accessible, and identifying innovative and assistive technologies that allow for higher joining rates for people with disabilities. Through this program, Zain Group became a member of the International Labor Organization Global Business and Disability Network Charter.

Reverse Mentoring
As part of its Digital Lifestyle strategy, Zain launched the Reverse Mentoring program, a first in the region program that improves company-wide diversity and inclusion and enhances employee engagement through interaction, dialogue, communication, and knowledge transfer.

The Reverse Mentoring program brings together younger employees and executives, allowing for guidance and support in various professional topics to foster a result-driven environment across all organizational levels.

ZAINIAC
Zain introduced the ZAINIAC program to offer its employees the space to actively participate in the sharing of ideas across the company’s various pillars. ZAINIAC can be accessed through an online platform, providing employees with an easy, convenient, and efficient process to contribute to the work environment.

The ZAINIAC program fuels a culture that promotes the exchange of ideas to find solutions for existing challenges and provides an efficient communication channel for employee interaction and support. It also provides the youth with the tools they need to collaborate, solve problems, and channel their passion toward the good of the company.

BE WELL
Zain Group launched its Mental Health Strategy in 2021 to foster a healthy and balanced mindset and workplace. BE WELL is considered one of the first programs to be offered by a private organization across the Middle East that works on creating an inclusive and supportive organization.

The program consists of meditation sessions, techniques, audio content, and inspirational talks that assist employees in maintaining a clear mindset and improving their mental health. It also includes several engaging on-ground events that are led by certified coaches to help guide employees through their mental health journey.

Meanwhile, in 2021, Zain Iraq also received the ‘Best Marketing Campaign’ award for its 4G-LTE launch campaign and the ‘Most innovative Digital Transformation Telecom Company’ award for the launch of oodi at the International Finance Awards. These awards were provided in recognition of Zain Iraq’s continuous efforts towards achieving digital transformation, along with the operator’s renewed offers, initiatives, and distinguished projects that aim to answer and exceed subscribers’ needs and aspirations.

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Liquid Telecom Satellite Services CEO Scott Mumford, said in a statement, “Extending our partnership with Intelsat will enable us to continue developing VSAT products with high- efficiency models and ubiquitous coverage; in fact, Liquid Telecom has just added three new high-performance VSAT service offerings to our portfolio, each with a range of data volume options. Liquid Telecom is continuing to drive increased demand and improve service levels across the continent, and this continuation of our partnership with Intelsat is a significant boost in that regard.”

Intelsat is one of the largest integrated satellite and terrestrial network in the world. Both companies have been in a partnership since 2016 to bring broadband and other communications services uses across Africa.

In this context, Intelsat Regional Vice President of Africa Brian Jakins, said in a statement, “We are pleased to extend our longstanding partnership with Liquid Telecom, helping to connect more people, communities and businesses throughout the continent.”

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Airtel’s revenue after tax dipped by 4.4 percent to $408 million. The telecom operator said in a statement, “All countries, with the exception of Rwanda, delivered double-digit revenue growth.”

Its performance during the period between January and March was boosted by factors such as a voice and data customers in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. It is reported that Airtel’s voice revenue in East Africa rose 6.2 percent to $606 million. This revenue was mainly driven by a 13.5 percent increase in customers and 15.8 percent in usage per customer.

Airtel’s Africa CEO Raghunath Mandava, told the media, “We enter this period of increased volatility in a strong financial position and our view on the medium-term opportunities across our footprint has not changed. These markets will continue to benefit from strong population growth and the need for increased connectivity and financial inclusion.”

Airtel’s data revenue grew by 20.3 percent to Sh32.8 billion. This revenue was driven by 22 percent growth in data customers and a 4.6 percent rise in data average return per unit, media reports said.

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