ZAWYA-PRESSR: Orange Summer Challenge 2025: Orange MEA awards 3 impact-driven startups

Orange Middle East and Africa (OMEA) held an award ceremony for the 3rd International Orange Summer Challenge (OSC) this February, awarding three innovative startups developed by young entrepreneurs from Africa and the Middle East.

As a flagship program of the Orange Digital Centers, the Orange Summer Challenge is an international competition that supports young talents each year in turning their ideas into technology-based solutions with strong social and environmental impact.

The program highlights Orange Jordan’s unwavering commitment to empowering youth, enhancing their digital skills, expanding their employment opportunities, and offering the necessary expertise aligned with the labor market. This is facilitated through the Orange Digital Center (ODC) programs, including the Innovation Hub, Fabrication Lab, Coding School, and BIG by Orange, which contribute to providing expert mentorship and collaborative teamwork within a supportive environment, in line with the company's approach to supporting innovation and connecting entrepreneurial projects with the Jordanian economy.

For the 2025 edition, 369 young innovators from 14 countries benefited from three months of intensive support provided by Orange MEA teams and Orange Digital Centers through training, mentoring, coaching and access to technological expertise. With the support of key partners, Amazon Web Services, Meta, UNDP, The Hashgraph Association, and Dar Blockchain, 56 startup projects were developed under the “Startup4Good” theme, addressing key sectors such as environment, health, education and agriculture.

This reflects Orange Group’s determination to position the Orange Digital Centers as open and inclusive innovation platforms. Deputy CEO and Chief Operations Officer of Orange Middle East and Africa, Ben Cheick Haidara, stated that for more than 16 years, Orange Summer Challenge has been a true catalyst for talent and innovation. More than competition, this program enables young entrepreneurs to develop technology-based solutions, notably leveraging artificial intelligence, to address societal and environmental challenges in a very concrete way. Through the Orange Digital Centers, Orange is firmly committed to supporting youth and fostering high-impact innovation across Africa and the Middle East.

The first place was awarded to SafeGuard from Jordan, receiving a grant of €22,000 to enable expanding its positive impact and continue offering its innovative solutions to society and the environment. The project offers smart safety devices for worksites, with features like live monitoring and comprehensive reporting, ensuring reinforced occupational safety, effectively reduces risks, and maintain safer and more efficient work environments.

To learn more, please visit our website: www.orange.jo

About Orange Middle East and Africa (OMEA)

Orange is present in 18 countries in Africa and the Middle East and has 161 million customers at 31 December 2024. With 7.7 billion euros of revenues in 2024, Orange MEA is the first growth area in the Orange group. Orange Money, its flagship mobile-based money transfer and financial services offer is available in 17 countries and has more than 100 million customers. Orange, multi-services operator, key partner of the digital transformation provides its expertise to support the development of new digital services in Africa and the Middle East.

About Orange

Orange is one of the world’s leading telecommunications operators with revenues of 40.3 billion euros in 2024 and 124,100 employees worldwide at 30 September 2025, including 68,000 employees in France. The Group has a total customer base of 310 million customers worldwide at 30 September 2025, including 270 million mobile customers and 23 million fixed broadband customers. These figures account for the deconsolidation of certain activities in Spain following the creation of MASORANGE. The Group is present in 26 countries (including non-consolidated countries).

Orange is also a leading provider of global IT and telecommunication services to multinational companies under the brand Orange Business. In February 2023, the Group presented its strategic plan "Lead the Future", built on a new business model and guided by responsibility and efficiency. "Lead the Future" capitalizes on network excellence to reinforce Orange's leadership in service quality.

Orange is listed on Euronext Paris (symbol ORA).

For more information on the internet and on your mobile: www.orange.com, www.orange-business.com and to follow us on X: @orangegrouppr.

Orange and any other Orange product or service names included in this material are trademarks of Orange or Orange Brand Services Limited.

About Orange Jordan

Orange Jordan, with over 1800 employees across nearly 300 shops and locations throughout Jordan, strives to provide the best customer experience through an integrated set of digital solutions including fixed lines, mobile lines, internet, data, and Smart Life Solutions to around 4.6 million customers in Jordan.

Orange Jordan is a subsidiary of Orange Global Group, which is present in 26 countries worldwide. In line with the Group’s strategy “Lead the Future” and through its positioning as a true responsible digital leader, Orange Jordan supports the national digital transformation vision. Orange Jordan prioritizes community service, and in this context, it implements a comprehensive CSR strategy that revolves around 4 pillars including digital education, digital inclusion, entrepreneurship, climate, and environment.

In addition to serving individual customers, Orange Jordan offers tailored solutions for businesses through its sub-brand, (Orange Business).

To learn more, please visit our website: www.orange.jo.

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