JEDDAH – The Saudi Basic Industries Corporation ( SABIC ) will participate in the “Clean up the Gulf Day” tomorrow (Feb. 27) in keeping with its strong commitment to corporate social responsibility. The “Clean Up the Gulf” is an initiative of the Gulf Petrochemical and Chemical Association (GPCA) and will be observed in six Gulf cities. Under the GPCA initiative, the participating member companies will organize environmental awareness campaigns in their respective home countries, covering the cities of Riyadh, Rabigh, Jubail, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Kuwait. SABIC will organize the event in Riyadh's Al-Thumamah region on the set day between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. where volunteer employees and their children will participate. The Riyadh Municipality, Riyadh Traffic Police and the Saudi Red Crescent have welcomed the initiative and will provide all the necessary support. The initiative is in line with the World Cleanliness Day to be marked in many countries around the world. Teams of litter collectors from the GCPA member companies and local volunteers will perform the clean up operations at Al-Jubail Downtown Beach and Juraid Island, as part of the inaugural event. In a major boost to the campaign, three additional companies pledged their support to the event, with Al-Zamil Chemplast, Al-Rajhi Holding, and TASNEE joining SABIC, Petro Rabigh and SAHARA. Additionally, Al-Jubail Divers Club also joined the campaign and will be cleaning up Juraid Island. Thirty divers have confirmed their participation in the campaign. “We're very pleased with the response from the local community in Al-Jubail toward ‘Clean Up the Gulf', with the support of Al-Jubail Divers Club set to be invaluable, and the additional cooperation from our member companies demonstrates that the petrochemical industry is serious about joining with communities to look after the local environment,” said Dr. Abdulwahab Al-Sadoun, Secretary General, GPCA. “This will highlight some clear areas where the industry in the UAE and the region needs to improve its operations with regards to the environment,” he added. “Clean Up the Gulf” is a new annual campaign which the GPCA hopes will soon become the largest environmental awareness initiative of its type in the Gulf. The campaign is supported by INJAZ UAE, a youth-focused community organization involving business, educators and volunteers, which is helping to encourage participation in the cleanups, highlighting the issue of environmental awareness and responsibility for the local environment. Approximately 250 students from different schools will so far be participating in the clean ups in Jubail. — SG
