Khaberni - Zain Group announced its promotion in the newly issued international ranking by the Global Child Forum, being named "Regional Leader" for the third consecutive time.
The leading group in technological innovations in the Middle East and Africa markets revealed that its crowning in the regional leadership category was in the "Child Rights and Business Principles for 2025" standard, where Zain's rating increased to 8.5 points, in recognition of its pioneering contributions in protecting child rights across regional markets, and the initiatives it adopts to ensure the integration of child protection in all its operations.
Zain mentioned that child online safety is a top priority for it, especially with estimates indicating that more than 30% of internet users are children, and with the expansion of broadband access, this percentage is expected to rise, stating that it is committed to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 16.2, which calls for ending all forms of violence against children.
It is worth mentioning that the group's promotion in the latest ranking coincides with the celebration of World Children's Day, which falls on November 20 each year, and the Global Child Forum's efforts focus on enhancing international cooperation and improving the well-being of children around the world. It is one of the leading international bodies concerned with promoting child rights in the context of business and corporations, working to support innovative thinking, knowledge exchange, and building partnerships between various sectors to protect children and ensure a safe work and community environment for them.
The initiatives of this global forum target enhancing child rights in the business world, as the forum aims to stimulate companies to adopt policies and initiatives that protect children's rights, whether in their operations or in their supply chains, and to spread awareness and education, build partnerships, and conduct measurement and evaluation. The forum issues annual indices and reports that evaluate company performance in child rights areas, such as the "Global Child Forum Index for Child Rights and Business," which is used as a global reference to measure company commitments to protecting children.
Zain Group ranked first regionally across all sectors, exceeding the regional and global average of the telecommunications sector by more than double in key indicators related to child rights, with the global average rating for telecommunications companies being 6.5/10, compared to 3.4 at the regional level and 5 for the overall average of all companies in the global list.
Zain Group achieved a perfect score (10/10) in the "Governance and Collaboration" category, reflecting the strength of its institutional approach at all levels in protecting child rights through robust governance structures. It also received a perfect rating in several areas, including institutional frameworks and standards, board accountability, grievance mechanisms, cooperation with NGOs, decent work conditions, supply chain evaluation, responsible advertising practices, and protection of the environment and community.
The Chief Sustainability Officer at Zain Group, Jennifer Suleiman, said, "The promotion of Zain Group in the latest international ranking coincides with the annual celebration of World Children's Day, where child online safety is a top priority for the group. Through clear policies and procedures, strong governance, and dedicated initiatives, Zain continues to embed child rights at the core of its sustainability strategy, ensuring a sustainable impact across all its markets, and this commitment is reflected in a series of policies and strategic partnerships aimed at supporting and enhancing child rights across the region".
Eiken Bjurstädt, the Secretary-General of the Global Child Forum, said, "Zain exemplifies that leadership in the field of child rights is possible and applicable across the value chain. Leadership means implementation, follow-up, and transparent disclosure. We congratulate Zain on retaining the top spot for the third consecutive year, and we encourage others to use the index to accelerate progress for children".
Zain continuously cooperates with local and international NGOs to enhance child protection in its markets, notably signing a memorandum of understanding with Child Helpline International for three years to support and develop response services for children in its areas of operation.
Zain reaffirms its commitment to responsible business principles, as the group strictly prohibits child labor in its operations and supply chain, requiring suppliers to comply with the International Labour Organization’s Minimum Age Convention and relevant national laws. Zain also conducts periodic evaluations of its suppliers through detailed surveys and checks to ensure compliance with ethical work standards.
As part of enhancing a transparent and equitable work environment, Zain allows its employees to express their concerns without hesitation through their direct managers, human resources, or the compliance office, in addition to the "Fair Disclosure" policy, which enhances the culture of institutional accountability.
In the framework of supporting a family-friendly work environment, Zain has adopted one of the most advanced regional policies in parental leave, granting mothers four months of maternity leave, followed by flexible work until the child turns four, with the possibility of extending home care for an additional two months. Fathers are also granted five days of paid paternity leave during the first month of the child's birth, enhancing the role of the family in the early stages of the child's life.
Driven by its commitment to protecting children across its networks, Zain adopts a strict data protection policy that prevents processing the data of minors without parental consent according to local legislation. It adheres to responsible marketing and communication standards that ensure clarity and accuracy in the messaging directed at or related to children.
Zain also complies with ethical advertising practices aligned with international frameworks such as the "UNICEF MO-CRIA" initiative, to ensure the appropriateness of digital content for all age groups, while maintaining privacy and promoting values of inclusion and equality.
Zain continues its efforts by launching campaigns in response to the increasing global violence affecting children, following the escalating crises and conflicts worldwide. It launched a campaign titled #Every_Child_Has_Rights, to highlight the serious threats faced by children in conflict-affected areas and support their protection.
Zain made notable efforts at the regional level to educate parents about the importance of child safety in the digital world, launching the "Internet Monsters" campaign aimed at raising awareness of child safety on the Internet across social digital platforms, which was based on classic fictional stories with some modern updates to portray what happens in the digital world. The main goal of this campaign was to reaffirm children's safety on the Internet, urging parents and caregivers to stay vigilant and aware of the risks children might face, and reaffirming that people are not always as they appear online.
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It is worth noting that the Global Child Forum consistently emphasizes in its report that companies have a pivotal and societal responsibility in building a fair and sustainable world that achieves prosperity for the children of the future.
