Zain Group broadens its innovative reach with the first regional expansion of Zain Great Idea in 15 years

Zain Group is really stepping up its game when it comes to supporting tech startups across the Middle East. They’re expanding their flagship accelerator program, Zain Great Idea (ZGI), for 2025, and here’s the interesting part— for the first time ever in its 15-year history, the program isn’t just sticking to Kuwait. Nope, it’s opening its doors wider to entrepreneurs and innovators from six different countries across the MENA region: Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. Honestly, this feels like a pretty big shift—moving away from ZGI’s usual Kuwait-focused roots to a much broader, Group-wide effort that aims to spark innovation and entrepreneurship on a much larger scale.

The ZGI 2025 program is being powered by Zain Ventures— that’s their venture capital arm— and ZainTECH, which handles their digital solutions. Together, they’re promising startups access to mentorship, funding, and international exposure like never before. One cool feature is a two-week intensive accelerator in Silicon Valley, which gives selected startups a rare chance to gain insights and network in a global tech hub. According to the announcement, this super-immersive program will connect startups with industry giants, big corporate leaders, and expert mentors through workshops and one-on-one mentoring sessions designed specifically to boost business growth and foster innovation.

This move fits well with Zain’s broader ‘4WARD – Progress with Purpose’ strategy. I mean, that strategy puts a real emphasis on innovation that actually makes a societal difference, promoting inclusive growth and AI-driven digital transformation. Over the last five years, ZGI has run more than 110 bootcamps and worked with over 7,000 entrepreneurs. Plus, they’ve helped generate around USD 135 million in investments from regional investors— which really speaks to how effective the program has been in nurturing startup ecosystems.

Bader Al-Kharafi, Vice-Chairman and Group CEO of Zain, described the regional expansion as a “natural evolution” of their ongoing commitment to developing local talent and making real change happen. He also pointed out that the combined efforts of ZGI, Zain Ventures, and ZainTECH are meant to back startups capable of delivering sustainable tech innovations and creating jobs. The goal? To uplift economies and communities across the region.

The program itself involves six different phases— starting with foundational workshops, mentorship, and intensive coaching, and ending with a big pitching event called Super Saturday. From this process, up to 15 startups will be chosen to fly to Silicon Valley for further acceleration. After that, they’ll continue to get support both technically and strategically when they come back home. ZainTECH is a key player in all this by providing the latest digital solutions and advice— especially around emerging tech like cloud computing, AI, analytics, robotics, big data, IoT, and smart city innovations. All these components are designed to help startups grow efficiently and align with Zain’s bigger vision of becoming a top ICT and digital lifestyle provider in the region.

This expansion comes at a pretty timely moment too. Governments and private investors throughout the Middle East are increasingly focusing on building ecosystems around climate tech and digital innovation. The emphasis industries like fintech, e-commerce, AI, digital solutions, and edtech reflects current priorities—digital transformation is seen as essential for future economic resilience and environmental sustainability. Zain’s new initiative positions it as a key player in this scene, supporting startups that can help meet sustainable development goals and boost regional digital capacity.

The proven success of ZGI includes a longstanding partnership with the MIT Enterprise Forum Pan Arab Startup Competition since 2015, which has helped train thousands of entrepreneurs and launch hundreds of startups. The program has also snagged awards, like the ‘Ecosystem Enabler of the Year’ from Entrepreneur Middle East magazine— a nice recognition that highlights its role in speeding up the regional tech ecosystem.

While some details about the investment terms and subsequent support are still to be clarified, the involvement of Zain Ventures signals serious financial backing and strategic commitment. Founded in 2021, Zain Ventures offers a fresh focus on venture capital, particularly in sectors like fintech and digital services, supplementing the group’s traditional telecom business.

Applications for ZGI 2025 are open until September 20, 2025. Startups from the six participating countries that have promising ideas or early-stage projects are encouraged to apply. By expanding its reach, Zain hopes to build an inclusive platform that nurtures regional innovation and connects local talent to global markets and expert networks.

All in all, this expansion of the Great Idea accelerator by Zain Group is a big boost for the startup scene in the Middle East. By providing mentorship, funding opportunities, strategic guidance, and exposure to Silicon Valley, they’re empowering a new generation of tech innovators. It just goes to show how regional companies like Zain are increasingly playing a crucial role in shaping the future of digital and climate tech innovation across the UAE and beyond.

Source: Noah Wire Services