Saudi Gazette report JEDDAH — Several Saudi companies have lately adopted social responsibility programs to contribute to the Kingdom's social development, and several outstanding initiatives have been introduced in accordance with the directives of the government suggesting that the private sector focuses on sustainable programs in areas of care and training. The successes and challenges will be the main topics at the Saudi Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Forum, to be held under the support of Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Emir of Makkah, at Park Hyatt Hotel in Jeddah on April 9-10. The forum is organized by the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry in cooperation with Al-Iktissad Wal-Aamal Group. Over two days, the forum will discuss issues of social responsibility in the Kingdom, how to achieve and activate CSR partnerships between the public and private sectors and the mechanisms to formulate a national agenda for social responsibility. Speakers at the first session include Secretary-General of the Council of Social Responsibility in Riyadh Askar Al-Harithy; Manager of the National CSR Project Abdulmalik Al-Sulaiman; Director General of the Society of Majed Bin Abdulaziz for Development and Social Services Hammam Zare; Vice President and Chairman of the Department of Social Responsibility at NCB Mahmoud Al-Turkistani; and Director of the Business Development Department and Chairman of the Department of Social Responsibility at CPC Holding Faisal Ibrahim Al-Aquil. The second session will discuss the role of social responsibility in building the corporate brand and ways to measure the output of corporate social responsibility programs on clients' trust. Speakers of the session will include Deputy Group Chairman of Al Hokair Group Majid Al-Hokair; President and CEO of GE in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain Hisham Bahkali; Co-founder of Elixir Co. Hani Khoja; Founder of Tamkeen Consult Events Asia Al-Sheikh; and Director of Public and Government Relations for the Middle East and North Africa at Procter & Gamble (P&G) Turki Bin Moammar. The third session, titled “Social Responsibility from Partners to Clients,” will include Social Responsibility Consultant Faten Yafi; Chairman and CEO of the International Medical Center Dr. Walid Fitaihi; Director of Social Responsibility at Sanofi Aventis Middle East and North Africa and Asia, Simon Mechiche; and Director of Corporate Social Responsibility at the Turki Group Bandar Al-Shammari. This session will discuss how to harmonize between business strategy and social responsibility programs, and the practical tools to enhance the involvement of staff in social work inside and outside the company. On the second day, a session will discuss how to adopt CSR more effectively, and the challenges faced by Saudi companies in the field of social responsibility. Reports will be presented by Gilbert Rustom, special adviser at AccountAbility Co.; and Walid Zabaneh, Executive Director of Sustainability and Climate Change at Ernst & Young. The fifth session will focus on the theme of sustainability and features the drawing of a road map for the conservation of natural resources. Speakers will include Habiballah Al-Turkistani, Professor of Economics and Business Administration at King Abdulaziz University; Dr. Sharif Tehemar, Chairman of the Social Responsibility Committee at Soliman Fakeeh Hospital; and Chairman of the Friends of Jeddah Parks Committee Mohammed Fayez. The final session of the forum, titled “Entrepreneurs and Social Initiators”, will focus on the reality and prospects of the current initiatives and link social initiatives for youth with funding sources and technical support. Participating in the session will be Nael Fayez, the CEO of Enjaz Saudi Arabia; Thamer Shaker, Director of Social Responsibility at Nesma Holding; Chairman of the Volunteer Committee at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Jeddah Sultan Hamza; and Executive Director of the Bena'a Productive Families (Jana) Mahmoud Al-Shami. Over the past two years the Saudi Corporate Social Responsibility Forum has succeeded in promoting its position as a platform to launch national initiatives in this field and among the most prominent initiatives were the launch of an endowment fund for small enterprises and productive families, the “Tayseer” project for rehabilitating buildings to be used by the physically disabled, and the recommendation for a national charter for social responsibility.
