Climate change remains a global crisis, with the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region identified as a climate change hotspot. Predictions indicate temperatures in MENA could rise 20% higher than the global average, exacerbating droughts, floods, and posing increasing threats to both humans and biodiversity. In response, transitioning to Net Zero emissions has become crucial.
As a leading telecom operator in the region, Zain is tackling climate-related risks while seizing opportunities for innovation in sustainable technology.
Zain has committed to reducing its Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 42% compared to 2020 levels, with the ultimate goal of achieving Net Zero emissions by 2050. To achieve this, the company has partnered with Huawei to develop green target networks that utilize advanced energy-saving technologies to enhance energy efficiency and reduce emissions. Zain has already made significant strides across its operating companies (OpCos).
Recently, Zain implemented a simplified green site solution, transforming conventional diesel-powered sites in a remote Kuwaiti desert area into a low-carbon model. Previously, these sites relied on two diesel generators (DG) running 24/7, leading to high energy consumption, frequent maintenance challenges, and emissions of up to 90 tons per site annually.
Engineers visited these sites monthly, working in extreme heat and refueling under temperatures as high as 50°C. After simplifying the model, site energy efficiency increased from 55% to 90%, with a 73% reduction in generator runtime due to the use of solar power. This resulted in a reduction of fuel consumption by 18,000 liters per site per year and a decrease of 49 tons of CO2 emissions per site annually. Maintenance visits were also cut by 50%.
Zain’s green network solution has been successfully deployed across its OpCos in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Sudan. Over 1,800 sites have been modernized, leading to an annual reduction of 150,000 tons of carbon emissions—equivalent to planting 4.8 million trees each year.
In addition to modernizing power and using clean energy, Zain’s green target network adopted cutting-edge technologies in energy, wireless equipment, and operations and maintenance (O&M). This includes energy-efficient products like Meta AAUs, ultra-wideband RRUs, extremely large antenna array (ELAA) technology, ultra-wideband power amplifiers, and RF optimizations to significantly improve network energy efficiency.
Zain’s innovative solutions have greatly improved network energy efficiency. The latest “0 bit 0 watt” technology, which relies on advanced software features and algorithms, further reduces energy consumption by enabling deep hibernation during non-peak hours.
