Madrid / Kuwait City / Brussels : IE University, globally recognized for educational innovation, and Zain Group, a leading technology and telecom company operating across eight Middle Eastern markets, have received the Silver Award in the “Professional Development” category at the prestigious 2025 EFMD Excellence in Practice Awards for their joint Master in Digital Transformation (MDT) program.
The award, granted by the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD), acknowledges the success of the MDT program in delivering large-scale, human-centered learning that transforms organizations and empowers professionals in real time.
Launched in 2023, the MDT program was co-designed by IE University and Zain Group’s Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (IDE) department to meet the growing demand for digital leadership and capabilities in the telecom sector. Structured as an online, modular, and stackable degree, the program is delivered under Zain’s IDE University (IDEU) platform and has already reached over 2,000 employees across the Group’s eight operating markets.
“This award is a reflection of what’s possible when academic innovation meets corporate purpose,” said Martín Rodríguez Jugo, General Manager of Lifelong Learning at IE University. “The MDT program not only upskills individuals—it drives measurable change across an organization.”
The MDT program’s impact is evident in its metrics:
Through this initiative, Zain is embedding continuous learning into the core of its operations, advancing digital fluency, reducing dependence on external consultants, and enabling greater internal mobility. It is also contributing to key business areas such as customer experience, operational efficiency, and product innovation.
“The IDEU initiative in collaboration with IE University reflects Zain’s steadfast commitment to purpose-driven transformation and human capital development,” said Bader Al-Kharafi, Vice Chairman and Group CEO of Zain Group. “This recognition by EFMD reinforces our belief in Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity as pillars of innovation and sustainable growth. We are proud to empower thousands of employees through this transformative journey.”
The EFMD Silver Award adds to a string of honors the MDT program has received for excellence in learning and development:
Award recipients will present their cases and receive formal recognition at the EFMD Executive Development Conference in October 2025.
Zain is a leading ICT and digital lifestyle provider, serving 50.7 million active customers across eight markets in the Middle East and Africa. Operating in Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, South Sudan, and with a strategic stake in Morocco’s INWI, Zain is transforming digital and telecom experiences in the region.
Headquartered in the UAE, ZainTECH serves enterprise and government clients with integrated digital solutions, while Zain Omantel International (ZOI) is reshaping the regional wholesale telecom landscape. Zain is listed on Boursa Kuwait under the ticker ZAIN.
More info: www.zain.com
IE University is a globally recognized institution focused on education, research, and innovation. With more than 10,000 students from 160 countries and a network of 80,000+ alumni in 185 countries, IE offers a technology-driven learning environment across six schools, including IE Business School, IE Law School, and the IE School of Science and Technology. The university’s mission centers on fostering global vision, entrepreneurial mindset, and humanistic values.
More info: www.ie.edu
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