Zain ranked first globally in telecom for 'Best Places to Work'

Zain Group announced that it topped the global telecommunications sector in the “Best Places to Work” category in the newly released Forbes World’s Best Employers 2026 list. The group explained that this global ranking reflects its strategic approach to building a work environment that fosters innovation, empowerment, and excellence, supported by distinctive initiatives aimed at attracting and developing talent and competencies, and reinforcing principles of inclusion, diversity, and equity. This approach contributed to a significant leap for the group on the global list over the past year, with a rise of 74 positions, enabling it to join the list of the world’s top 100 companies as top employers, and securing the second position across the Middle East and Africa markets.

This notable progress on global indicators highlights the long-term approach the group adopts in investing in human resources, considered its most important asset for supporting competitiveness and enhancing future readiness. The group implements its operational strategy under the title “Advancing with Purpose,” which places innovation, digital transformation, and human capital development at the core of its priorities, as the main drivers of its business transformation journey.

In this context, Zain relies on the strength of its operations across regional markets and its diverse base of competencies and expertise, which contribute to building a more flexible business model capable of innovation, adapting to changes, and seizing new growth opportunities. In this framework, the group continues to pursue its strategic goal of becoming one of the largest technology conglomerates in the region, by expanding its digital businesses, developing its technology service ecosystem, and enhancing its investments in technologies and future sectors.

The Forbes ranking was based on a large-scale global study involving more than 300,000 employees in over 50 countries working for multinational companies with more than 1,000 employees. Participants evaluated employers based on a set of indicators related to the employee experience, including job benefits, talent development, work environment, training and professional development opportunities, as well as their willingness to recommend their employers to others. The results were also based on a cumulative database covering the past three years, with greater weight given to the most recent evaluations and opinions of current employees.

The results of this ranking are particularly significant because they rely primarily on evaluations by the employees themselves, providing an independent measure of the strength of corporate culture, levels of trust, employee engagement, and satisfaction. These elements are today among the most influential factors in institutions’ ability to attract and retain talent and enhance their competitiveness in the global business environment, especially amid the rapid transformations in the digital economy and intensifying competition for specialized skills and expertise.

Bader Nasser Al-Kharafi, Vice Chairman and CEO of Zain Group, said: “Zain’s leading position in the global telecommunications sector is the result of providing a work environment that fosters innovation, empowerment, and excellence. This achievement embodies our vision of building an institution that places people at the core of its strategy and considers competencies a fundamental pillar for expansion and growth.” He added: “Zain continues to reinforce a corporate culture that enhances creativity and collaboration, enabling its employees to develop and make a tangible impact, while accelerating the pace of digital transformation, adopting responsible business practices, and reinforcing principles of sustainability, inclusion, diversity, and equity.”

Al-Kharaf continued, stating, “This global recognition confirms our success in building an institution capable of achieving a balance between operational excellence and human capital development, thereby supporting the creation of sustainable, long-term value for our employees, customers, shareholders, and the communities in which we operate.” He added, “In a business environment where the pace of transformation is accelerating, the ability to attract and develop talent has become a critical factor in sustaining competitiveness. In this context, we continue to invest in future skills and build a workforce capable of leading the next phase of digital transformation.” Al-Kharaf affirmed, “At Zain, we believe our role extends beyond providing services to actively contributing to economic development and enhancing the prosperity of communities. Through our investments, strategic partnerships, and the development of career opportunities, we will continue to expand our positive impact and contribute to building sustainable value.”

Notably, this advanced ranking for the Zain Group coincides with its recent upgrade in the MSCI Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) ratings, moving from ‘A’ to ‘AA’. This makes Zain the highest-rated company in Kuwait across all sectors within the MSCI assessment framework, and it joins the ‘Leader’ category among global telecommunications companies. Forbes Business Magazine highlighted the Group’s outstanding performance compared to the sector average in areas such as workforce management, privacy, data security, environmental practices, and business conduct. This has strengthened the responsible work environment and governance practices that form the foundation of the value proposition the Group offers to its employees.

In this regard, Nawal Al-Busaili, Chief Purpose and Human Resources Officer at Zain Group, said, “This achievement embodies the strength of our corporate culture and the excellence of our human capital. Their dedication and resilience are fundamental pillars in how we serve our customers and support one another, and they are essential factors in continuing Zain’s ascent to new levels of excellence. By listening to our employees and leveraging their insights, we continue to enhance our leadership practices, reinforce an inclusive work environment, and deepen our corporate culture.”

This achievement is not viewed merely as a result of human resources practices, but as an extension of a broader institutional approach that has made sustainability and corporate responsibility an integral part of the Group’s way of working. Zain has successfully integrated environmental, social, and governance considerations into its operational and commercial processes, making these pillars present in decision-making, risk management, business development, and long-term value creation.

The Group has redefined the role of human resources by integrating the concept of “Purpose” into the responsibilities of the executive leadership of this sector, with the position now titled “Chief Purpose and Human Resources Officer.” This step reflects Zain’s conviction that aligning corporate objectives with employee aspirations is one of the key drivers of performance, innovation, and sustainability.

To reinforce this direction, the Group launched the UNITY Cultural Transformation Program, which embeds the concepts of corporate purpose and customer focus across all levels of work. This is achieved by enhancing team collaboration, elevating the human dimension in leadership, and translating corporate values into daily practices that directly impact the employee and customer experience. Corporate culture at Zain is no longer just a supportive framework for business; it has become a strategic pillar that drives innovation, raises organizational resilience, and enhances the Group’s competitiveness in an economy changing at an unprecedented pace.

Engines of Growth: As global companies redefine the concept of human capital, Zain treats inclusion, diversity, and equity (IDE) as core elements of its future growth strategy, rather than mere corporate commitments. Accordingly, the Group has placed talent development, career progression, and future capability building at the heart of its business development and expansion plans. This approach is grounded in the firm conviction that digital transformation is achieved not only through investment in technology, but also through investing in the people who can develop, operate, and lead its economic and social impact. The Group continues to align business expansion with continuous investment in human capital, viewing them as interdependent pathways to sustainable growth.

The WE ABLE 2030 program stands out as one of the key operational platforms for this vision, having shifted the concept of inclusion from the realm of policies and procedures to real opportunities for participation, professional development, and economic empowerment for people with disabilities. This is achieved by integrating accessibility initiatives into recruitment, professional development, customer experience, innovation, and business practices. Thanks to this approach, Zain continues to reinforce its position as an employer that views inclusion, diversity, and equity as sources of new ideas, drivers of innovation, and catalysts for operational excellence.

Capability Building: Concurrently, the Group continues to invest in developing its human capabilities through an integrated system of innovation and continuous learning programs, ensuring its workforce is prepared for the demands of the rapidly evolving digital economy. The internal innovation platform, ZAINIAC, constitutes one of the main pillars of this approach, having provided thousands of employees with a space to develop ideas and transform them into practical initiatives and projects with tangible impact.

Graduate Generation: In the context of investing in the next generation of talent, the Graduate Program (Generation Z) has continued to evolve its training path to keep pace with rapid technological changes, adding artificial intelligence, data analytics, design thinking, leadership, and organizational resilience to its educational curriculum. Since its launch nine years ago, the program has succeeded in building a growing base of competencies and young leaders.

Women’s Empowerment: Zain adopts an advanced approach to empowering women and enhancing their participation across various professional and leadership levels, by providing a supportive work environment that helps them balance professional and family responsibilities, enabling them to achieve professional excellence without compromising their social roles. In this context, the Group was among the first in the region to launch specialized programs for developing female leaders and preparing them for leadership positions, as part of its targets to increase the representation of women in leadership roles. This approach has been further strengthened by a policy considered among the most progressive in the region, offering four months of paid maternity leave, followed by flexible work arrangements extending for four years after returning to work, thereby supporting career continuity.

IDEU University: The impact of Zain’s Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity University (IDEU) has extended to become an advanced knowledge platform supporting future learning across the Group. In a short period, it has contributed to consolidating a culture of continuous learning, raising educational engagement levels, and developing skills in the various markets where Zain operates.

Zain is committed to embedding an institutional culture grounded in continuous learning, knowledge sharing, and capability development, driven by its belief that professional growth thrives in an environment that encourages collaboration, openness, and the exchange of expertise. In this context, the REACH professional mentoring initiative provides a comprehensive platform that enables employees to build effective professional networks, hone their skills, and explore new opportunities for career development within a safe and inclusive work environment. The results achieved by these programs reflect the Group’s ability to build an institutional learning system that keeps pace with major technological transformations, ranging from artificial intelligence and data analytics to cybersecurity, digital services, and emerging technologies that are reshaping the global economic landscape. The Group views the development of future capabilities as a strategic priority directly linked to sustainable growth and enhanced competitiveness, which explains its continued investments in skills development, professional reskilling, leadership preparation, and the cultivation of a new generation of talent capable of leading the next phase of digital transformation. This aligns with its institutional mission of “Always Connected – A Better Life,” which places human beings at the heart of progress and impact creation.