16/03/2017 07:34 AST
King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) and Petro Rabigh have recently announced the launch of the Saudi Sustainable Development Association.
The Association is an innovative, pioneering initiative to combine the resources of national corporations and channel them efficiently toward better economic and social development in the Kingdom in general, and in the Rabigh area in particular.
Announced in a special ceremony at KAEC, this initiative is the first of its kind in the Kingdom, creating a partnership among corporations and institutions in the private sector in the field of social responsibility and sustainable development.
The announcement ceremony was attended by Ayman Al Mubaireek, Deputy Governor of Rabigh, and more than 30 representatives of government agencies and senior corporate officials.
In addition to KAEC and Petro Rabigh, the consortium includes the Cooperative Insurance Company (Tawuniya,) the International Medical Center, DHL, SANKYU, Saudi Arabia, FAL Holding, RAWEC, Al-Tamimi and Co., GEMS - Global Environmental Management Services - and Arabian Pipes.
Also announced at the ceremony was "Le-Rabigh" [For Rabigh], the association's maiden initiative, with two programs: one to lay out strategic plans for sustained development in the Rabigh governorate, and the other to qualify and train human resources in the area.
Bassam A. Al-Bokhari, Vice President of Industrial Relations at Petro Rabigh and Chairman of the Association Board, said the partnership will unite the efforts that national corporations make towards enhancing corporate social responsibility and promoting sustained development that meets the area's basic needs.
He added that this will constitute added value in the long run, and contribute to the Kingdom's Vision 2030 by giving the private sector the opportunity to participate in development.
Fahd Hamidaddin, Chief Commercial Officer at KAEC and Vice Chairman of the Association, said that the city's partnership in the Association is part of its commitment towards the local community.
"Our foremost initiative was the Tomouh program, which aims to train and qualify national talent," he said. "The latest iteration of the program saw 1,000 young men and women from the Rabigh area trained. Many of them have already found jobs, including some who are now working in the control room at King Abdullah Port."
He added that the association's initiatives are based on far-reaching strategic plans that support the government's drive for human development, a key element in every advanced society. The Le-Rabigh initiative will be the first of many that will extend to the rest of the Kingdom.
The ceremony was accompanied by a workshop titled "Corporate Social Responsibility in Upstart Communities," in which attendees discussed major development issues in the Rabigh area, such as social issues that face fledgling towns, demographics, cultural reform, diversity, and nationalization of jobs, as well as proper business conduct and best practices. Representatives from Ma'aden, Dar Al-Hikmah and Nafisah Shams Academy shared their experiences.
Saudi Gazette
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