More cooperation and participation between non-profit organizations (NPOs) and the private sector should be reinforced, said Princess Al-Bandari Abdulrahman Al-Faisal, director general of King Khalid Foundation (KKF), during the two-day Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Forum. "Social institutions need to get rid of their traditional ways of implementing CSR programs and follow in the footsteps of those who believe that engaging people and stakeholders effectively in such programs is the only way for their success," she said during her keynote address entitled "How does the King Khaled Foundation collaborate with key stakeholders to deliver impactful programs that support the development of Saudi's local community?" Any social initiative would be doomed to fail if it isolates itself and excludes its beneficiaries and other important players in society, she pointed out. She talked about the KKF successful program that has been in place for the past four years and how it has trained numerous local NPO female leaders, increased their efficiency and improved the services NPOs provide to beneficiaries. The participants engaged in extensive discussions and exchanged their visions on CSR sustainable programs and the pivotal role such programs play in achieving social as well as economic development and improving the performance of the private sector. Topics included creating sustainable, mutual value relations with key stakeholders to improve social and economic performance; how NGOs and charity foundations can build strategic and effective campaigns; creating societal value within your core business and preserving the nation's environmental resources to drive sustainable development. Some of the prominent speakers were Heba Khashoggi, human resources – director, Khashoggi Holding; Fahad Al Khalfan, community investment – diversity & inclusion manager, strategy & business development, BAE Systems; Dr. Ali Alarabi Alghamdi, director general of home health care, consultant family and community medicine Ministry of Health; Kailash Nagdev, managing director, YouGov and Kindah Sais, talent development, diversity & inclusion leader for Saudi Arabia, Procter & Gamble. Organized by Informa Company, the forum was attended by a large number of government agencies and private companies as well as NPOs from inside and outside the country. Jeddah Chamber was the supporting sponsor of the event. Other sponsors included Al-Zahid Group (headline sponsor), Construction Products Holding (platinum sponsor), P&G (gold sponsor), BAE Systems (silver sponsor), National Talents Company (associate sponsor) and Microsoft Company (technology sponsor), APCO – Saudi Office (media partner).
