By Ron Chen, Correspondent ASEAN Region

Crescent Enterprises has joined the World Economic Forum’s 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 MENA region to join the global movement to prioritize digital inclusion as foundational to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

CEO of Crescent Enterprises Badr Jafar, has been appointed as Champion of the Alliance, whereby he will be working alongside senior government officials to industry leaders, including MasterCard Executive Chairman Ajay Banga,  Alphabet & Google Senior Vice President and CFO Ruth Porat, Boston Consulting Group Global CEO Rich Lesser, Dell Technologies Chairman and Chief Executive Michael Dell, Barclays Group Chief Executive Officer Jes Staley and Ericsson President & CEO Borje Ekholm, and Rwanda Minister for ICT and Innovation Paula Ingabire. The Alliance is chaired by Verizon Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Hans Vestberg.

Commenting on the initiative and the supportive role of Crescent Enterprises, Badr Jafar 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.”

Deputy CEO & Head of Investments at Crescent Enterprises Tushar Singhvi has been appointed to the Executive Network of the Alliance, to help mobilize joint effort and align priorities to enhance the case for digital investment.

Head of Digital Communications, World Economic Forum, Isabelle Mauro said: “We are delighted to welcome Crescent Enterprises to the World Economic Forum’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 mobilizing 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.