Viva and Telecoms in Kuwait How Kuwaiti telecom leaders turned conversation into collective action

In 2012, I hosted a Knowledge Café with 20 senior telecom leaders in Kuwait to explore the future of the industry. A lack of regulation emerged as a key challenge. Together, they agreed to form a union to push for a regulatory body, turning competition into collaboration for shared progress.

I ran a Knowledge Café in 2012 for 20 CEOs and senior executives from leading telecommunications companies in Kuwait, including Zain, Wataniya Telecom, Gulf Net, Fast-telco, Zajil Telecom, Mada Communications, Samsung Dealership, Hayat Communications, Future Communications Company, Quality Net, UPS, KNET, and Kuwait Concierge.

The topic of the Café was “What are the future possibilities for the Kuwaiti Mobile Telecoms Industry?”

There were some interesting conversations, but one big issue surfaced. It appears that Kuwait lacked a Telecoms regulator, which led to numerous problems for the Telcos due to unscrupulous providers.

During the Café conversations, the participants decided that they wanted a regulatory body to provide a legislative framework that would enable them to operate more efficiently. They also decided to form a Telecoms Union to lobby the Government on their behalf to create such a body.

This story shows how open conversation can lead to practical action. When people facing the same challenges talk honestly, they can find shared solutions. If you’re working in a complex field, create space for dialogue—it might be the first step toward solving problems no one can fix alone.