Cisco achieves ambitious goal one year ahead of schedule, by scaling social impact programs and digital access for communities in Saudi Arabia and around the world
- The milestone coincides with the launch of Cisco’s annual Purpose Report, providing updates on its ESG and social impact progress through fiscal year 2023.
- Delivering impact locally, Cisco’s Country Digital Acceleration program is a driver for digitization and innovation in Saudi Arabia.
- Through the Cisco Networking Academy, more than 336,000 learners in Saudi Arabia have gained IT skills to transform their careers.
RIYADH, KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA-— One year ahead of schedule, Cisco has surpassed its goal to make a real, tangible difference in the lives of one billion people, leveraging a powerful combination of technology and people, backed by its purpose to power an inclusive future for all.
To achieve its goal of positively impacting one billion people by 2025, Cisco invested in nonprofits through its Social Impact grants and Networking Academy to help them develop and scale technology-based solutions for the critical challenges facing communities around the world. Cisco also worked with local and national governments, including the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to empower communities with IT skills, helping develop the workforce of the future and fostering digital inclusion – all measured by a rigorous tracking methodology.
“Through collaboration with national leadership, industry and nonprofit partners, as well as the dedication of our people, we are proud to celebrate impacting more than one billion lives globally. We will continue to leverage the power of technology and partnerships in Saudi Arabia and across countries around the world to deliver a secure, connected and inclusive future for all,” said Reem Asaad, Vice President, Cisco Middle East and Africa.
Cisco’s Country Digital Acceleration (CDA) program is a long-term partnership with national leadership, industry and academia to stimulate innovation, grow GDP and expand job creation. In Saudi Arabia, the CDA program was launched in 2016, aligning with the pillars of Vision 2030 and the National Transformation Program. Since then, Cisco has delivered more than 20 active or completed digitization projects of national impact, including collaborations with the Saudi Authority for Data and Artificial Intelligence (SDAIA), Red Sea Global, and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), among others.