‘Corporations must invest in education’

Local and international firms must use their corporate social responsibility (CSR) budgets to invest in education and development projects in the country.
This was the message from delegates at CSR Saudi Arabia 2014, which kicked off in Jeddah on Monday night. The event brought together representatives from local firms, government bodies, non-governmental organizations and higher education institutions.
Daan Elffers, founder of EMG CSR, delivered the opening remarks, and said that there was great potential in Saudi Arabia for companies seeking to make these investments.
Mohammad Abdulaziz Al-Ohali, deputy minister of higher education, delivered the keynote address, and outlined the collaborations the ministry currently has with various corporations.
Al-Ohali said the ministry was keen to work with more companies to develop programs, taking into account the needs of Saudi society. He said the ministry had considered 181 proposals and approved 52 projects, which are currently being implemented at 13 Saudi universities. Delegates also took part in a panel discussion on the role of CSR in the Kingdom. The speakers on the panel included Duncan Mitchell, senior vice president Middle East, Africa and Russia at Cisco; Nezar Mohammed S. Bahabri, director of the academic and training center and chairman of the CSR committee at Dr. Soliman Fakeeh Hospital; Haifa Jamal Al-Lail, president at Effat University; Tal Nazer, chief executive officer at Bupa Arabia; and Amr Khashoggi, vice president of group affairs at Zahid Group.
Loay Hisham Nazer, chairman of Bupa Arabia, highlighted his company’s key social responsibility programs that provide free health care insurance for orphaned children. He said this was part of his company’s corporate strategy to maximize value for all stakeholders.
“First and foremost our consideration is to ensure that the children at orphanages across the Kingdom receive the best health care possible, a strategic CSR aim that naturally integrates with our corporate strategy to be the health care partner for life for all members of Bupa Arabia,” said Nazer.
“We have achieved our aim of providing free health care for the orphans through cooperation with our program partners and stakeholders, which include the Ministry of Health and all the orphanages under the ministry’s supervision.”
The second panel discussion focused on public and private sector collaboration, moderated by Faten Al-Yafi, expert practitioner and adviser on CSR and corporate governance. The discussion allowed the audience to connect with government entities.
The speakers included Amr Banaja, vice president of CSR at SEDCO; Huda Hakki, director of programs and grants at King Khalid Foundation; Amjad Esam Abuazzah, general manager of marketing and strategic partnerships at Abdul Latif Jamil Community Initiatives; and Murya Habbash, financial accounting and corporate governance at King Khalid University.
Banaja, who also presented a talk on elevating CSR in businesses, used SEDCO’s Riyali Financial Literacy program as an example. “The Riyali program has conducted introductory visits to a variety of local bodies including several universities where the program, its goals and plans were presented and explained.”
“These visits resulted in strategic partnerships with the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Labor, Human Resources Development Fund, Capital Market Authority, Institute of Banking, Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency, King Khalid Foundation, Al-Nahda Association, Majid Society for Community Development and Herfa Association, all of which have strengthened the program’s capacity.”