Ooredoo Builds Closer Connections across its Footprint during Holy Month of Ramadan

Ooredoo companies have organised a series of charitable and community initiatives in support of the spirit of the Holy Month of Ramadan across the Middle East, North Africa and Southeast Asia this June.

The diverse range of campaigns and initiatives shared the core theme of building closer connections, between communities and between people and their faith. This key theme was highlighted by Ooredoo’s “Closer Connections” Ramadan TVC, which has been seen by more than 4.3 million people on global video-sharing website YouTube.

Ooredoo’s Ramadan TVC was the first short film created through collaboration between Ooredoo Group, Ooredoo Qatar, Ooredoo Kuwait and Ooredoo Oman. Featuring inspirational people from the three countries, the #CloserConnections campaign focuses on the bond that everybody feels – both with each other and with their religion – during the Holy Month.

Sheikh Saud Bin Nasser Al Thani, Group CEO, Ooredoo, said: “The whole Ooredoo family comes together to help people across our communities during the Holy Month, and this year has seen a wave of volunteers working on projects that deliver real benefits. In particular, it has been inspiring to see people from different operations across our footprint work together on some of these inspirational initiatives.”

In Qatar, volunteers have participated in a range of activities designed to reach our across the community, including volunteer visits to the Qatar Foundation for Elderly Care, Hamad Hospital and Fahad Bin Jassim Kidney Centre, and a programme to distribute Iftar packs to people breaking their fast at Woqod petrol stations across the country.

There has also been a strong spirit of volunteering in Kuwait, which the launch of the second edition of Ooredoo’s successful volunteer programme in cooperation with “Spread the Passion”, a local non-profit organisation for young people. The training programme has included workshops and training camps. In addition, volunteers from Ooredoo Kuwait have distributed more than 17,000 Iftar meals during the Holy Month through a distribution centre at its headquarters and a special tent.

In Iraq, Asiacell, an Ooredoo company, has launched a national CSR project to collect clothing for children in orphanages across the country. The clothing will be distributed over the Eid holiday, providing new clothing for children without families.

In Palestine, Wataniya Mobile organised a range of Ramadan activities, including distributing packs at the Al Aqsa Mosque to everyone heading from the West Bank to perform Friday prayers on the first Friday of Ramadan. The company also equipped an ER tent at Al Aqsa Mosque to provide all first aid assistance from trained staff to any visitor who required it.

Ooredoo Oman began its 12th Ooredoo Goodwill Journey on 12 June, receiving a warm send-off from crowds of well-wishers as it set out on its annual 2,000 kilometre voyage of community support. Starting out from Salalah in the Governorate of Dhofar, a team of 22 goodwill ambassadors travelled to Shlaeem and Hallaniyat Islands, Al Jazir, Mudhiabi, Sur, Bowsher and Qurayyat, before the final stop on 26 June.

During the journey, volunteers donated essential equipment, supplies and educational materials to local organisations and associations to help support education and entrepreneurship opportunities for women and young people. In addition, the volunteers held a variety of events to celebrate the spirit of the Holy Month.

Over the past 11 years, Ooredoo Oman’s goodwill ambassadors have travelled more than 53,000 km, visited 171 charities, and provided assistance to around 11,000 people in different locations across Oman.

Ooredoo Algeria sponsored three Ramadan tents in provinces across the country to enable people to break their fast in comfort. In addition, the company organised a programme of hospital visits where volunteers went to cheer up sick children.

Ooredoo also conducted Ramadan activities in Indonesia this year, where Waleed Al-Sayed, Deputy CEO, Ooredoo, made a significant donation to the International Digital Braille Qur’an Foundation in a special ceremony held on the first day of the Holy Month. In addition, Ooredoo donated USD 10,000 to the House of Atmanto’s Internet Foundation, which provides training and development for people in need.

In addition, Ooredoo donated school kits and funding for five orphanages and for a number of foundations that help the destitute in Indonesia.

Innovative Islamic Content

As well as charity and community campaigns, Ooredoo has also released a range of innovative Islamic content during the Holy Month.

In the Maldives, Ooredoo customers could benefit from free prayer alerts, free Quran translations and free hadith available on their phones. In addition, customers were able to subscribe to free religious quotes via SMS as part of the service.

Ooredoo Tunisia choose to connect people, to innovate and to share with people new experiences, launching a dedicated free Ramadan app that provide exclusive Islamic content and by offering “Kadonet”, a new service that enabled customers to purchase data bundles for other users. The channel has been specially designed to enable customers to provide children and seniors with data, so that everybody can share wishes and Ramadan greetings during the Holy Month, even if they are unsure how to purchase data themselves.

Wataniya Mobile launched a special “Top-Up and Win” Campaign” in Palestine to mark the Holy Month. The campaign gave customers the chance to win instant prizes when they topped-up and when they received and made calls.