HAS Foundation: Another CSR role model in KSA 
More than a quarter of a century ago, we at BMG Foundation prided ourselves on being one of the first organizations to coin the term corporate social responsibility. Since then, several major listed companies have introduced specially designed CSR programs to support different types of beneficiaries in the country.
Before that, old-money prominent families such as Al Rajhi, Al Subaie, Bin Mahfouz, Al Jomiah, Al Fozan, Abdulatif Jameel, Hassan Abbas Sharbatly, and others had set up in-house charitable organizations and foundations many years ago.
Recently, I received an invitation from my brother Abdul Latif Nukaly, secretary-general of the Hassan Abbas Sharbatly Charitable Foundation, to visit its offices and team in Jeddah to explore ways of cooperation between our respective foundations. During our meeting we discussed our plans this year to organize a special event, on behalf of a government-owned healthcare organization, to award talented Saudi students from the King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity (Mawhiba) who won the ISEF 2024 competition.
Mawhiba has been part of the Vision 2030 strategy, which aims to attract, develop, and empower talents and leaders. It seeks to create an attractive work culture and a supportive work environment, enhance levels of productivity and innovation, and support the private sector by developing human capabilities.
The foundation is regarded as a role model and a leading Saudi nonprofit institution, with decades of distinguished initiatives in charitable, social, health, education, and other community services.
Throughout its history the HAS Foundation has made numerous contributions and undertaken multiple key initiatives for the betterment of society. Among these initiatives is the signing of an agreement with the Batterjee Education and Training Academy to train 5,000 Saudis.
The foundation also supplied the Jeddah Autism Center with educational materials and modules as an experiment to teach autistic children. Additionally, it launched the award-winning Miqat Rituals and Culture initiative, which aims to transform the Miqat experience for those wishing to perform Hajj and Umrah.
It is worth noting that this Miqat initiative has won the Cultural Excellence Award, which falls under the Makkah Excellence Awards. The initiative focuses on rehabilitating the Miqat Al-Juhfa site, which is dedicated to pilgrims from Syria, Egypt, and North African countries.
The foundation’s efforts and initiatives reaffirm its commitment to achieving the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030, which, through its quality-of-life pillar, aims to build a vibrant society and a thriving economy by enhancing human capabilities, excellence, and innovation.
The HAS Foundation, its family members, and its management have been involved in improving the quality of life for thousands of beneficiaries across all aspects of life. The foundation is regarded as a role model and a leading Saudi nonprofit institution, with decades of distinguished initiatives in charitable, social, health, education, and other community services.
• Basil M.K. Al-Ghalayini is chairman and CEO of BMG Financial Group.
