{"id":202943,"date":"2025-12-03T10:22:37","date_gmt":"2025-12-03T07:22:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hasadnews.net\/?p=202943"},"modified":"2025-12-03T10:22:37","modified_gmt":"2025-12-03T07:22:37","slug":"international-day-of-persons-with-disabilities-zain-launches-three-inclusion-initiatives-to-accelerate-we-able-2030-vision","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hasadnews.net\/?p=202943","title":{"rendered":"International Day of Persons with Disabilities: Zain launches three inclusion initiatives to accelerate WE ABLE 2030 vision"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<ul style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<li><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Hasad news &#8211;<\/span> Bader Al-Kharafi: \u201c<em>Redesigning how we hire, develop, procure, and advocate, so that accessibility and disability inclusion are built into every decision we make\u201d<\/em>\u201d<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>First telecom in MENA to partner with\u00a0<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/businessdisabilityforum.org.uk\/about-us\/\"><strong>Bu<\/strong><\/a><strong><u>siness Disability Forum<\/u><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/zain.com\/en\/grow\"><strong>Opening applications<\/strong><\/a><strong> for a new GROW batch and personalised individual development plans for employees with disabilities to ensure career progression and growth.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong><u>Kuwait\u00a0City,\u00a03\u00a0December\u00a02025<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Zain Group,\u00a0a leading provider of innovative ICT and digital lifestyle communications operating in eight markets across the Middle East and Africa, has launched\u00a0three strategic disability inclusion initiatives to mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities\u00a0on December 3<sup>rd<\/sup>.\u00a0The initiatives advance the company\u2019s WE ABLE 2030 vision, powered by\u00a0its\u00a0\u20184WARD\u00a0&#8211;\u00a0Progress with Purpose\u2019 strategy, embedding disability inclusion as a core business and talent differentiator across its footprint.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Together, these three initiatives translate WE ABLE 2030 from vision into action across Zain\u2019s entire ecosystem, from how the company buys, hires, and develops, to how it advocates and shows up in the community. They include a new strategic partnership with\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/businessdisabilityforum.org.uk\/about-us\/\">Business Disability Forum<\/a>\u00a0to embed accessibility into procurement; the opening of applications for a new GROW program batch tailored for graduates with disabilities; and the introduction of personalized Individual Development Plans for employees with disabilities.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Launched earlier this year, WE ABLE 2030 is Zain\u2019s long-term vision to ensure people with disabilities are safeguarded and empowered as co-creators of the technologies and experiences shaping the future. It focuses on inclusive hiring and retention practices, accessible products and services, global recognition for storytelling and advocacy, and clear pathways to career progression and leadership for persons with disabilities.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>Bader Al-Kharafi, Zain Vice Chairman and Group CEO<\/strong>, commented:\u00a0\u201c<em>Accelerating our We ABLE\u00a0<\/em>2030\u00a0<em>vision\u00a0through\u00a0these three initiatives are part of a deliberate effort to redesign how we hire, develop, procure, and advocate, so that accessibility and disability inclusion are built into every decision we\u00a0make<\/em>.\u00a0<em>We are moving from commitments to systemic shifts<\/em>\u00a0<em>to operationalize our vision across the entire value chain.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>Al-Kharafi<\/strong>\u00a0added:\u00a0\u201c<em>By partnering with global leaders, investing in future graduates with disabilities, and personalizing development paths for our own\u00a0people, we are signalling the kind of region we want to help shape. WE ABLE\u00a0<\/em>2030<em>\u00a0is about inside-out transformation. It brings our purpose of \u2018Better Lives, Lasting Connections.\u2019 to life by ensuring persons with disabilities are not only included but are leading and influencing the next chapter of digital progress<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>More on the three strategic initiatives to accelerate WE ABLE 2030<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<li><strong>Strategic partnership with Business Disability Forum<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/businessdisabilityforum.org.uk\/\"><strong> (BDF)<\/strong><\/a><strong>:<\/strong> Zain has become the first telecom operator in the MENA region to partner with BDF, a leading international membership organization. This strategic collaboration advances the Accessible Products and Services pillar, as Zain Group\u2019s procurement team are integrating accessibility criteria into supplier evaluation processes. The partnership also strengthens the Global Recognition pillar, by opening access to BDF\u2019s global network of more than 600 organizations.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/zain.com\/en\/grow\"><strong>Opening applications<\/strong><\/a><strong> (<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/zain.com\/en\/grow\"><strong>com\/en\/grow<\/strong><\/a><strong>) for a new GROW program batch for graduates with disabilities<\/strong>: As part of the Inclusive Hiring and Retention Practices pillar, Zain is inviting graduates with disabilities to apply for a three-month specialized training and internship track that will be rolled out in 2026 across four Zain operations. The program, designed specifically for graduates with disabilities, will provide equitable access to high-quality learning and a structured internship opportunity at Zain premises.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Personalized Individual Development Plans (IDPs) for employees with disabilities<\/strong>: To ensure employees have tailored development plans and reinforce clear pathways to career progression and leadership. Each IDP is built from a comprehensive 34-question internal survey, capturing individual aspirations and specific support needs.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>From commitments to systems change<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">These three initiatives deepen the implementation of the WE ABLE 2030 vision and complement Zain\u2019s broader efforts, including its long-standing commitments to accessible infrastructure, inclusive training, and assistive technologies.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">The impact of the WE ABLE vision is also reflected in significant achievements over the past year, including the global publication of two case studies by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.purplespace.org\/home?myhub&amp;selected=9120\">PurpleSpace<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bemyeyes.com\/business\/zain-case-study\/\">Be My Eyes<\/a>, highlighting Zain and WE ABLE\u2019s role in driving meaningful change in the region.\u00a0Throughout the year, more than 20 disability etiquette sessions were delivered to hundreds of employees by Zain personnel with disabilities across the group.\u00a0Furthermore, Zain employees volunteering on the Be My Eyes platform completed over 1500 successful calls during 2025.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">By aligning its disability inclusion agenda with its \u20184WARD-Progress with Purpose\u2019 strategy, Zain is working to set a new regional benchmark where accessibility is not an afterthought, but a catalyst for innovation, value creation, and more inclusive growth across the MENA region.\u00a0Graduates with disabilities are invited to apply for GROW: <a href=\"https:\/\/zain.com\/en\/grow\"><strong>zain.com\/en\/grow<\/strong><\/a> <strong>ENDS<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/hasadnews.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IDPWD-pic-scaled.jpeg\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hasad news &#8211; Bader Al-Kharafi: \u201cRedesigning how we hire, develop, procure, and advocate, so that accessibility and disability inclusion are built into every decision we make\u201d\u201d First telecom in MENA to partner with\u00a0Business Disability Forum Opening applications for a new GROW batch and personalised individual development plans for employees with disabilities to ensure career progression [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":202945,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,40,22,28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-202943","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-27","category-40","category-22","category-28"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hasadnews.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/202943","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hasadnews.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hasadnews.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hasadnews.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hasadnews.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=202943"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/hasadnews.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/202943\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":202946,"href":"https:\/\/hasadnews.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/202943\/revisions\/202946"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hasadnews.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/202945"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hasadnews.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=202943"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hasadnews.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=202943"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hasadnews.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=202943"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}