STC Group CEO Eng. Olayan M. Alwetaid reaffirmed STC's commitment to offering eco-friendly services by integrating sustainable practices into all aspects of our company.

“We realize that as a MENA digital enabler, we have a responsibility to our country in Saudi Arabia and our consumers by providing we are functioning sustainably,” Alwaetaid stated during a panel discussion at MWC Barcelona 2021 titled "We Act For Impact."

He was among environmental experts and ICT infrastructure development leaders who gathered at the Green Agenda during the Mobile World Congress (MWC) Barcelona 2021 to discuss sustainability progress.

The panel discussion questioned ICT industry leaders to evaluate the latest progress on the remaining obstacles and positive actions needed to address the climate change problem especially given that the mobile industry is amongst the most developed in terms of rolling out its commitments to net-zero by 2050.

In the debate, Alwetaid expressed his views on a variety of environmental issues, stating that STC has played a crucial role in Saudi Arabia's digital transformation that has seen the Kingdom launch several digital projects, such as the roll-out and implementation of STC advanced 5G technology.

“STC is dedicated to lowering its carbon footprint and adopting a green network operator, so we have taken numerous efforts to accomplish this aim and achieve Net Zero,” he added. We have created a Sustainable Energy Framework that would get us through to 2030. These actions will minimize our energy usage and therefore will involve improved energy management, monitoring, and reporting with defined benchmarks and key performance indicators (KPIs). We would also expand renewable energy production on our campus and at other Saudi Arabian institutions. Furthermore, we shall guarantee that our current buildings and assets are energy efficient, and new structures will be developed and erected with energy-saving features.”

He further said, "Saudi Arabia has pledged to produce 50% of its power from renewable resources by 2030 and to accomplish these environmental objectives, organizations are required to work collaboratively to achieve within the KSA's sustainability goals."

When questioned about STC's intended partnerships with its investors, Eng. Alwetaid stated, "Stakeholder involvement is an essential element of our strategy." We ensure that we address the problems which are most critical for the business by interacting with our key stakeholders, in both our strategic approach and in our reporting.

“We have made significant progress in matching our declarations with worldwide standards like as GRI, SASB, national norms, and the demands of sustainability indexes and rating agencies.”

He went on to explain, "First and foremost, mobile communications are the essential enabling component in SMART technologies and applications; it allows IoT and AI-based infrastructures through high-speed connection and low-latency, real-time edge-computing applications."

At STC, we want to minimize emissions through a combination of interactions with our value chain partners and the development of e-services that reduce carbon emissions by offering services through the mobile network.”

STC is playing a major role in KSA's digitization following the Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to transform the Kingdom into an economic powerhouse. STC also completely supports the Saudi Green initiative, the world's largest afforestation project, intending to plant 50 billion trees, 10 billion of which will be planted in Saudi Arabia.

“The government has established a clear strategic plan with wide goals, and private sector leaders must be synchronized with the public sector's aims and ambitions,” Alwetaid stated during the debate.

“For this to occur and contribute to a green digital recovery, the government has established a framework of investment incentives, including financial assistance for R&D and ramp-up. For its part, the private sector should notch up and take advantage of the opportunity with a long-term perspective.”