SHARJAH, Crescent Enterprises has joined the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) EDISON Alliance (Essential Digital Infrastructure and Services Network) to help foster affordable and accessible digital opportunities for everyone by 2025.
The company is amongst the first from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region to join the global movement to prioritise digital inclusion as foundational to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Badr Jafar, CEO of Crescent Enterprises, who has been appointed as Champion of the Alliance, said, “The EDISON Alliance is a timely strategic initiative to reinvent the way we think about digital connectivity, globally. Enabling nearly half of the global population who are excluded from the opportunities the internet makes possible, will not only improve quality of life for individuals and communities, but will also add significant momentum to global economic growth. We at Crescent Enterprises are keen to put our professional networks and expertise to use on behalf of the Alliance, helping create sustainable, long-term positive change in MENA and beyond.”
Isabelle Mauro, Head of Digital Communications, WEF, said, “We are delighted to welcome Crescent Enterprises to WEF’s EDISON Alliance to champion inclusive access to digital services in MENA. Crescent Enterprises will bring tremendous value to the Alliance’s objectives of fostering affordable and accessible digital opportunities for everyone by 2025 and leveraging connectivity as a key lever to help achieve the SDGs. The company will play an important role in mobilising efforts of its network to scale initiatives and partnership that can help accelerate digital inclusion in the MENA region and beyond.”
Through the creation of a network of networks, the EDISON Alliance aims to enhance collaboration between investors, technology companies and the public sector in pursuit of key SDGs, particularly in the areas of education, healthcare and financial inclusion. The Alliance seeks to support existing efforts to connect ecosystems across sectors, in order to address challenges and engage the public through sustained, impactful dialogue.
Source: Emirates News Agency