The region’s premier CSR and Sustainability Awards scheme was officially launched in the United Arab Emirates in a press conference held this morning at the Millennium Plaza Hotel. Currently in its ninth cycle, the Arabia CSR Awards have been successful in unveiling the good examples and best practices coming out of public and private establishments across the Arab region. Known for its high rigour and benchmarking properties, the Arabia CSR Awards are keenly contested by big and small, public and private enterprises. Each year the Awards highlight new organisations that are creating high impact CSR and sustainability practices and bringing value to their business and to the society as well. Many well-known names from different sectors have also been featured among the galaxy of winners of the Arabia CSR Awards. In the previous cycle 20 awards were conferred spanning nine categories of awards. The categories are Public Sector, Large, Medium, Small, Energy, Financial Services, Social Enterprise, New Business and Partnerships & Collaborations.
In its eight year history, the Arabia CSR Awards have been re-shaped several times to make it the best and leading award scheme in the Arab world. It is externally verified by one of the world’s most reputed providers of business assurance, DNV-GL. The criteria of the award are derived from global and regional frameworks and standards, namely, the UN Global Compact Ten Principles, GRI and the European EFQM business excellence model. So far, 881 applications have been submitted to the awards by 718 organisations in 26 sectors from 13 Arab countries in Middle East and North Africa. Each year hundreds of organisations vie with each other to earn the distinction of being chosen a winner of the Arabia CSR Awards.
The Arabia CSR Awards is presented by the Arabia CSR Network, the leading think tank and knowledge centre operating from Dubai. The awards are under the auspices of the League of Arab States and in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
This was the second press conference organized to declare the commencement of the ninth cycle of the awards. Earlier, a press conference had been organized in the Egyptian capital Cairo to announce the launching of the awards to organisations based in North Africa. The Network has planned a series of road shows around the Arab Region to promote the awards and launch the ninth cycle. The next press conference is being planned to take place in Jordan in the coming month.
Speaking at the press launch Arabia CSR Network President and CEO Habiba Al Marashi said, “The Arabia CSR Awards are seen as the Arab region’s own benchmark in CSR and sustainability. Using the application process, hundreds of organisations have been able to upgrade their CSR and sustainability practices and brought it into alignment with international standards and best practices.
This is primarily the reason for its popularity and why it has grown in stature over the years to become the most highly coveted CSR and sustainability award among Arabian companies and government establishments. The support of the League of Arab States and the collaboration of the UN bodies upholds its reputation as the most trustworthy award scheme for CSR and sustainability. We hope this year we will be able to overreach the targets set for the awards and bring in more Arab countries within its fold through strengthened collaboration and targeted messages to organisations in our region.”