KUWAIT: Zain Group, a leading provider of innovative ICT and digital lifestyle communications in eight markets across the Middle East and Africa, has selected six talented Kuwaiti nationals to participate in the 11th cycle of what has developed to become one of the region’s most successful internal graduate training programs in the region – Generation Z (Gen Z). The intensive year-long undertaking is designed to align and prepare the that focuses on continuity, acceleration, collaboration and digital innovation. This year’s graduate program will offer participants exposure to AI tools, Big Data, and analytics platforms to extract insights. They will also be encouraged to develop creative and systems thinking capabilities, enabling broader, more strategic approaches to problem solving as well as leadership and social influence skills.
Strengthening of resilience and adaptability through mental toughness challenges will also form part of the curriculum, as will the exploration of purpose and motivation, helping graduates align personal strengths and values with meaningful organizational contribution.
Bader Al-Kharafi, Zain Vice-Chairman and Group CEO commented, “Entering the 11th year of Gen Z highlights Zain’s commitment to fostering talent locally and establishing a genuine pipeline of Kuwaiti leaders for the future. Given the pace of technological change of the corporate landscape because of the development and uptake of artificial intelligence, and quantum computing to come, this next decade will demand even higher levels of resilience, agility, and AI skills from the workforce.”
Al-Kharafi added: “This program continues to provide technical and soft skills for the participants, permitting them to navigate the corporate world with confidence and impact. I congratulate this year’s class and encourage them to make the very most of the exposure and training provided during the year.”
The acceptance rate for Gen Z is on-par with those for top-ranked international university places, and the initiative is aimed at identifying and nurturing young Kuwaiti talent who demonstrate leadership potential, equipping them with the skills, mindset, and hands-on experience to thrive in the corporate world.
The highly competitive selection process for the six places in the 2026 program was fierce, with 687 applicants to the program, of which 31 were invited to individual interviews. The last six were selected following a gruelling week-long job assessment engagement that featured multiple rounds of interviews that included an individual ‘4WARD-Progress with Purpose’ strategy task, team assignments, science-based psychometrics and presenting to the Vice Chairman and Group CEO.
The six high-caliber Kuwait nationals selected for 2026 Gen Z cohort are: Abdulmohsen Al-Zenki; Ahmed Al-Onaizi; Asail Al-Heis; Ayah Al-Fadhli; Jana Al-Abduljader and Miteb Al-Oqab. The Generation Z 2026 graduate program remit falls under the “Build the Youth of the Future” pillar of Zain Group’s Corporate Sustainability strategy and the Inclusion, Diversity & Equity strategic pillar of “Zain Youth” (ZY), which foster the growth of youth employees.
The ZY pillar also includes the ZY Counsel who take on CEO assigned projects, the ZY Mavericks which form an internal pool of youth experts to facilitate peer-learning and enable employee mobility, and ZY Learn which ensures youth follow a lifelong learning path, all of which foster the growth of youth employees into talent unlike any other.
The decade-long evolution of Gen Z reflects the company’s transformation from a Telco to a TechCo. Over the past decade, Gen Z has so far developed over 50 graduates with a multitude of traits and skills that has enhanced their individual and professional characters, as well as contributing to Zain’s and the region’s economic and social prosperity.
Top achievers within the program are routinely offered and sponsored by Zain to undertake their MBA at the UK’s London Business School, and previous Gen Z alumni have gone to consolidate impressive corporate careers within Zain and elsewhere.
