Virgin Mobile KSA: Women are key contributors to the success of the Kingdom’s digital transformation

As the world is celebrating International Women’s Day under the theme #BreakTheBias, where people globally are posing with their arms crossed to show commitment to calling out bias and smashing stereotypes, Virgin Mobile Saudi Consortium LLC highlights the important role women are playing in this Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Today, women are increasingly taking on roles that are shaping the Information & Communications Technology (ICT) sector in Saudi Arabia, including in emerging areas such as 5G, Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, among others. At Virgin Mobile KSA, women are present at all levels of the organization, and the company is committed to creating an environment where all staff can fully contribute to the development and growth of Saudi Arabia’s telecoms sector.

Nouf Alsufiany, Director of People and Culture at Virgin Mobile KSA explained, “We’re seeing huge progress in how the potential of women is recognised throughout the Kingdom, and more and more people believe in the ability of women to participate at the highest levels and in the most advanced technical roles. The increased participation of women in the workforce means that organisations across Saudi Arabia are able to benefit from some of the best talents which might have been overlooked in the past. At Virgin Mobile KSA, we aim to support this inclusive mindset by developing frameworks, policies and communities that create a level playing field and encourage all of our staff, women and men, to achieve their full potential and play their part in our success.”

Alsufiany added that Virgin Mobile KSA is committed to increasing the pace of change in gender equity. One of the company’s core pillars is creating an enabling environment for the sustainable development of digital economies, and fostering the active participation of female staff is an essential part of achieving this goal.

“‘We Are Family’ is one of our core brand values at Virgin Mobile KSA, and our culture promotes ensuring every member of our team is welcomed, valued and respected. We have focused heavily on instilling this value as part of our culture over the years, and this inclusive mindset has contributed to creating a workforce that is 49% female, achieving equal pay for men and women in the same positions throughout the company, and increasing the proportion of female team leaders to 27%,” added Alsufiany.

“This year’s theme for International Women’s Day, #BreakTheBias, highlights the need to call out gender bias and inequality, and Virgin Mobile KSA has already made a conscious effort to ensure that we have empowered our personnel to guide the company’s growth in this area. All of our decision-making meetings, committees, work groups and task teams must have no less than a third of women in their representation, and we have also conducted anonymous surveys for female staff to find out how we can create a more inclusive workplace. Based on their feedback, we have taken steps including introducing more flexible working models to accommodate family life.”

Virgin Mobile KSA has implemented a 1-hour attendance flexibility policy, so that staff can start or end the workday one hour earlier or later. Because the company recognizes the importance of time spent with family for increasing happiness and productivity, Virgin Mobile KSA also allows for a 40-day work from home policy, significantly higher than the industry average of 21 days. Female employees that are office-based, have the choice to work in segregated areas should they prefer.

Yaarob Al-Sayegh, CEO of Virgin Mobile KSA commented, “I would like to congratulate all of Virgin Mobile KSA’s female staff on the occasion of International Women’s Day, and thank them for their achievements that contribute so much to the company. Virgin Mobile KSA is committed to empowering women in the telecommunications sector, by supporting them to attain high skill-level positions, and to have representation in decision-making within the sector, as well as facilitating access to education and training. This will lay the groundwork for reaching the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of gender equality and empowerment of women and girls, and to realizing the Saudi Vision 2030 goals of creating a vital society, a thriving economy, and an ambitious nation.”

Virgin Mobile KSA looks forward to a successful International Women’s Day, where all persons, men and women, join together to celebrate women, and promote the creation of an equitable environment that guarantees the success of Saudi Arabia.