Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs are one of the main concerns of Al Mathaaq Hospitality. To strengthen its position as an effective and responsible member of the community, Al Mathaaq Hospitality has launched a program in partnership with Ektefaa, a charitable organization in the Makkah region, to educate, train and employ Saudi youth by the end of the program. The program was launched last Ramadan and continued till October 2015 in each of the company's five restaurants, Aseil, Kalila, Square Meater, Semsom and Margherita,it involves the local community of Jeddah, allowing them to give back to their fellow peers, helping them in building a better future for the society. On the mechanism of the program, Youssef Habbal, Al Mathaaq CEO, said: "The mechanism of the program went throughout Ramadan where the company contributed SR5 from each purchase of an Iftar set menu and after Ramadan SR2 from purchases of selected items in all its five restaurants in Jeddah, with the total amount generated at the end of the campaign of over SR76,000, Ektefaa set a pre-planned training program with less fortunate young men that they have selected from their data base, eventually leading them to earn a job in the hospitality field with Al Mathaaq." "Based on Al Mathaaq's knowledge of the local society and taking into consideration the 3 major causes to support sustainable development according to The Saudi CSR summit 2014, Al Mathaaq carefully studied and planned the program that can combine the three causes youth, education and employment together in an educational and training program for the Saudi youth that will end in employment in the hospitality sector. The program is now in its execution phase, training the selected Saudi youth, which will take around six months, after which they will start their career with Al Mathaaq Hospitality Company. This program was only the first step of Al Mathaaq's CSR initiatives, but will certainly not be the last as there are new promising campaigns in the pipeline for 2016," Habbal added. On expansion plans, Habbal said: "Currently Al Mathaaq is working on its first new branches outside Jeddah, in Riyadh, as well as some expansions in Jeddah's northern region to keep up with real estate development. The company is also working on developing its customer loyalty program, where restaurants' guests would be able to enjoy many offers and benefits with every visit." Habbal said. Ektefaa, is a charity organization founded in 2007 in the Makkah region, specializes in conducting field surveys and gathering detailed information for less fortunate families in random areas of the Makkah region, while providing services including documentation, social studies, project development and statistical analysis. The charity acts as an authentic reference to all charitable work, human development and enhancement in the Makkah area, with the aim of securing sufficiency for those in need, by observing their basic needs and forming effective partnerships with related sectors in society to ensure community development. By partnering with Ektefaa, Al Mathaaq was able fulfill the program's requirements as they have both the knowledge of the less fortunate youths and families in Jeddah, as well as being able to develop and execute a program that suits their requirements. Al Mathaaq Hospitality, a leading casual dining company in Jeddah, founded on the promise of providing culinary pleasure, while enriching palates and savoring tastes. Al Mathaaq alludes to a new lifestyle of enjoying food simply because it delights the palate and fosters a sense of wellbeing, while pioneering new cuisine trends and culinary delights. All five brands have refined the process of creating cuisines to a fine art that consists of high-quality food, unmatched service and enjoyable dining experiences. — SG
