Ooredoo reaches out to Communities with a Host of Charitable Activities and New Islamic Content during the Holy Month

Doha, Qatar: Ooredoo companies have celebrated the spirit of Ramadan across their regional footprint this month, with a series of special initiatives.

The activities have been designed to encourage people to appreciate life, spend time with loved ones, and help people in need during the Holy Month, and have been supported by a high proportion of employees who volunteered their time.

Dr. Nasser Marafih, CEO, Ooredoo Group, said: “Seeing the Ooredoo companies come together to celebrate the Holy Month is a proud moment for us all. Ramadan is a time to appreciate and give back to the community, and we want to show our customers that we care and connect during this special time.”

For Qatar, Ooredoo is engaging with the community via a host of activities such as hospital visits, Iftar with the elderly, and donations towards several charities. To bring the spirit of the Holy Month to life, Ooredoo Qatar’s popular Alrabaa, a group of seven mascots who embody the traditions of the country, are making appearances at events across the country as part of the Ramadan #SharingOurBest campaign.

In Kuwait, Ooredoo has set-up a tent for donating daily Iftar meals for workers, as well as hosting a number of visits to care centres and hospitals across the country to distribute gifts.

Asiacell in Iraq, part of Ooredoo Group, launched a new phase of the “Smile for Peace” initiative in cooperation with the UN International Organisation for Migration (IOM). The project will see the company support the construction of two water treatment plants to provide drinking water for two camps for internally-displaced people in Baghdad, in addition to providing milk and other necessities for children in the camps.

In addition, Asiacell has announced a national programme to distribute food packages for families and clothing for orphans for 15,000 families – nearly 100,000 people – in seven governorates in Iraq.

Ooredoo Tunisia’s campaign “Put a smile on your face” will continue its tour across Tunisia’s five biggest cities to engage children, youngsters and adults in entertaining activities. In a bid to give back, Ooredoo will also select a charitable association each night of Ramadan to donate to through a charity drive.

In Palestine, Ooredoo’s Wataniya Palestine has set-up a medical station at one of the main mosques, as well as providing sun-hats for worshippers and distributing water and dates for Iftar in cities across Palestine.

With particular focus on supporting local communities and spreading smiles across the Sultanate, Ooredoo Oman began its 11th annual Goodwill Journey in June.  So far, Ooredoo volunteers have travelled more than 1,400 kilometres to bring joy to people and communities in five regions of the country. The Journey will continue in July, covering the length and breadth of

Oman by the end of their flagship CSR initiative.

In Algeria, Ooredoo awarded a substantial financial contribution to the Algerian Red Crescent (ARC) as part of its Ramadan campaign, as well as hosting a special Ramadan tent, and is set to organise a series of visits to sick children in hospital during Eid El Fitr.

Reflecting the customs and traditions of the Maldives, Ooredoo Maldives is supporting the seventh edition of Ooredoo Masrace throughout the Holy Month, a night fishing competition started in 2009. The competition has grown to engage people across the country and is broadcast on national television. To ensure customers receive the message of Ramadan, Ooredoo Maldives is also offering a free prayer alert, Quran translation, and religious quotes service via mobile phone. Customers simply have to subscribe to the service to begin experiencing the latest religious content to share with family and friends.

In Indonesia, Ooredoo’s Indosat has launched a campaign for Marabouts (mosque caretakers), encouraging people to thank and reward them for their hard work during the Holy Month. The company has also donated to orphanages with food, gifts, and entrepreneurship training, to give the children a fighting chance in life as part of the company’s vision to champion youth.

Dr. Nasser

Focus on Islamic Content

In addition to a strong focus on good works and charitable initiatives, Ooredoo companies have also launched more than 100 different types of religious mobile content services during the Holy Month, recognising the power of mobile technology to touch people’s lives.

This includes the launch of four different services in Qatar, including the Al Afasy Mobile portal, which provides access to the works of noted imam and nasheed signer Sheikh Mishary Alafasy. Ooredoo Qatar has also launched the first Islamic mobile store in Qatar, offering the latest Islamic content for people to download on their mobile devices. Customers can enjoy and share this content with each other across a range of social media channels.

In Kuwait, Ooredoo has launched the OK Ramadan, which provides an USSD menu where customers can choose Ramadan Greetings, Duaa, Nasheed and make charitable donations.

Asiacell in Iraq has launched an incredible range of Islamic services accessible via SMS, IVR and WAP, while in Tunisia and Algeria, Ooredoo is working with Arpuplus to launch Islamic Audio Streaming Smart Applications.

Ooredoo Oman has launched an Islamic SMS content service, as well as offering “Athkar,” an SMS Content Service and Donation service where customers can donate by SMS.

Ooredoo’s Indosat has launched services that provide Islamic information, Ramadan iRing, and a range of Islam-themed videos for the Holy Month. Indosat has also provided their customers with the opportunity to donate to charity via their mobile phones.