• The MVNO will launch planet-friendly SIM cards in Virgin Mobile KSA and Kuwait, as part of the imminent launch in the market.

Dubai, UAE: Virgin Mobile Middle East and Africa (VMMEA), the region’s leading mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), has made further strides towards building a carbon negative business (one that removes more carbon from the atmosphere than it emits each year) this Earth Day. In collaboration with the Environment Authority in Oman for the ‘10 million trees’ project, its FRiENDi Mobile customers in Oman will be able to offset their remaining mobile usage carbon footprint in the customer mobile app from Earth Day 2022. This initiative is a first for any telecom operator in the country.

VMMEA has also announced it is now taking its biodegradable SIMs into both its existing KSA operations and its new operations in Kuwait, due to  launch imminently. Virgin Mobile UAE was the first to introduce these planet-friendly SIM cards to customers in February as one of a growing number of strides in sustainability.

“Sustainability is in our DNA, and we know that to become carbon negative, collective, impact-oriented action is the only way forward. From the roll out of biodegradeable SIM cards, through to our in-app offsetting feature in Oman, we aim not only to become carbon negative within the next five years, but to enable our growing customer base of 3.3 million  across the region to make greener choices, everyday,” commented Erik Dudman Nielsen, Founder & Group Chief Executive Officer at Virgin Mobile Middle East & Africa.

“We have always maintained that profitability should not come at the cost to the planet, and this is why we are continuously evaluating the actions that we take as a company. It is imperative that we invest in the planet that we can call home by creating sustainable business practices and preserving our natural resources. We hope to take our users along with us on our journey to doing better by the environment and achieving our goal of carbon negativity,” concluded Nielsen.

These initiatives come less than a year after VMMEA’s announcement that it had achieved net-zero carbon emissions in its operations in September 2021.

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About Virgin Mobile Middle East & Africa

Virgin Mobile Middle East & Africa is part of the Virgin family group of companies. Virgin Mobile Middle East & Africa is responsible for all Virgin Mobile operations in the Middle East and Africa region, and is headquartered in Dubai, UAE.   

Virgin Mobile Middle East & Africa has been in the region since 2009 and operates the two consumer brands of Virgin Mobile and FRiENDi Mobile across the region. Partnering with telecoms operators across the region, the Virgin Mobile Middle East & Africa team provides customers with innovative products and packages designed to make their mobile experience better. We work closely with other Virgin companies across the world to make sure we can create experiences for our customers which surprise and delight them, and which can’t be matched.

Virgin Mobile Middle East & Africa believes in having the best people on the team, and the management team is made up of senior level team members from a variety of successful regional and global mobile operators, as well as from MVNOs. The company has a strong financial foundation supported by well-respected and global and regional shareholders, including Virgin Group, GIC, ePlanet Capital, Dolphin International, NTEC, and members of the senior management team. 

About Virgin Group

Virgin Mobile is one of the businesses of the Virgin Group, a leading international branded investment company and one of the world's most recognized and respected brands. Conceived in 1970 by Sir Richard Branson, the Virgin Group has gone on to grow successful businesses in sectors ranging from mobile telephony and media to transportation, travel, financial services, hotels, health and fitness, as well as renewable technologies and space tourism. Virgin employs approximately 70,000 people in 35 countries and its global branded revenues exceed £16.6 billion (AED 79 billion).

Media Contact:
For Virgin Mobile Middle East & Africa
Nida Noor
nida.noor@houbaracomms.com