Source: ArabNews.com
By ARAB NEWS Published: Nov 17, 2011 01:56 Updated: Nov 17, 2011 01:56
Chairwoman of Alroha CSR Company Olfat Kabbani and Martin Neureiter, a world-renowned expert in social responsibility, sign an agreement for mutual cooperation. (AN photo)
JEDDAH: Chairwoman of Alroha CSR Company Olfat Kabbani has announced a new strategic alliance with a European company in order to establish and promote sustainable responsibility programs for Saudi companies, offer consultancy services, conduct social research and analysis and evaluate the commitment of owners of commercial and industrial establishments to corporate social responsibility.
Martin Neureiter, a world-renowned expert in social responsibility and CEO of “The CSR Company International” and ISO 26000 expert, signed the agreement on behalf of the European company, which offers several consultancy services in the area of corporate social responsibility to global companies and governments. He is currently a CSR advisor to the government of the United Arab Emirates.
Kabbani, who chaired the first Social Responsibility Council in Saudi Arabia, pointed out the importance of studying the area of corporate responsibility and comparing it to Arab and local economic practices.
She highlighted the growing importance developed countries have given to achieving corporate social responsibility, noting that the managed assets volume of investment funds invested in socially responsible companies has exceeded $2 trillion in the United States and Europe as of 2007, demonstrating a great interest in this policy area.
She added that Alroha CSR Company would seek to change the current perceptions of social responsibility and devote its expertise to spreading the concept of CSR in the private sector.
Kabbani discussed a wide range of mechanisms and standards to be implemented by the new company to evaluate the commitment of any business to social responsibility programs consistent with the standards set by the ISO.
These standards include ethical and social commitments towards employees, thus fostering their loyalty, reducing training costs, and increasing production efficiency, all of which add to company value. Kabbani explained that social responsibility, as defined globally, is not firmly established among Saudi companies, so much needs to be done to inject this concept into the Saudi workplace.
She called for social responsibility to be promoted throughout society, beginning with educational institutions and progressing into the government sector, the goal being to make social responsibility an integral part of an institution or individual’s life.
The inauguration ceremony for Alroha CSR Company was attended by a group of interested business owners as well as the Austrian Consul in Saudi Arabia.
The new company employs consultants, experts and specialists in the field of corporate social responsibility from Saudi Arabia and the Arab world.
