Zain Group, the leading telecommunications provider in the Middle East and North Africa, launched its inaugural Sustainability Report, entitled 'Growth...Naturally'. Zain is one of the first operators in the region to offer an account of the socio-economic and environmental impacts of its business operations.

The Report is based on Global Reporting Initiatives - GRI G3.1 guidelines, which are used by the world's leading companies to report on sustainability performance. The preparation of the report has also been guided by the principles of materiality, inclusivity and responsiveness taken from the AA 1000 Accountability Principles Standard.

Zain Group CEO, Nabeel Bin Salamah said: "This report will serve as a central platform for communication and engagement with our many stakeholders regarding Zain's strategic approach to sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR). We will use it to discuss our challenges, share our successes, and plan for our future."

With the publication of this Report, Zain becomes the first operator in Kuwait to publish such detailed material. The report highlights many of the social, environmental and economic contributions Zain has made in its countries of operation. For example, the company:
• Launched the "Drive Zain" campaign in Kuwait and reached 21,000 university students with messages about responsible use of mobile phones while driving
• Set up 170 sites to provide coverage to more than 175,000 people in 500 remote villages in Saudi Arabia
• Provided access to mobile banking services to 26,949 users in Jordan 
• Launched "The Zain National Mobile Phone and e-Waste Recycling Campaign" in Bahrain and collected approximately 3,000 handsets for recycling
• Provided vocational training to 175 young trainees through University Telecom courses and the Mobile Maintenance Training Center and provided work experience to more than 200 youth through its F.U.N. and Shabab Tamouh programs
• Provided adult literacy courses to 6,550 illiterate adults in Iraq through the Amar Foundation
• Participated in the Green Power Working Group of the GSMA, a global ICT industry coalition
• Supported Eltayeb Salih International Award in Sudan, which drew an impressive 432 short story and novel submissions
• Hosted the "Zain Great Idea" competition to encourage entrepreneurship in Kuwait, receiving 800 new business idea submissions

Bin Salamah also said: "Our region faces many key challenges and we are committed to doing our part to address them. As a leading mobile operator, we are working to expand access to mobile telecommunications services, build the capacity of our youth, support economic development and address priority community needs."

Zain hopes to encourage dialogue with stakeholders to work in partnership toward shared objectives. By publishing this report, Zain is "taking a stand for a wonderful world" in emphasizing its long-term commitment to actively managing, measuring and communicating its contributions to a more sustainable future.