DUBAI, UAE, 4 August 2019: The Arabia CSR Network will conduct the Arabia CSR Awards ceremony on October 2 in Dubai, the body said through a Press release.

Speaking on the origin of the Awards, Habiba Al Mar’ashi Al Hashmi, President, ACSR Awards, and President and CEO, Arabia CSR Network, said: “As a growing network, we attracted a gamut of organisations – from the government sector, businesses, academia and civil society. The common purpose was to understand how the principles of ethics, good governance, human capital development, environmental responsibility and social commitment could be embedded into every day practices. The aim was to become champions of sustainable development, a concept that integrates economic growth with a healthy planet and thriving communities. Almost all of them demonstrated a strong capacity for quality, health, safety and environmental management, and boasted outstanding achievements in these areas. Thus, it was a natural progression for us to develop a set of awards that would recognise their efforts and motivate others to follow the path to sustainability and success.”

The Awards, during the time of its inception, the release highlighted, was the only such system to receive the support of the UN Global Compact. It was held in Dubai under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai’s Executive Council, the release pointed out. The two aspects, the release said, went on to shape the ‘glocalised’ nature of the awards, where local best practices were aligned to global standards of excellence.

The October 2 ceremony will mark the 12^th edition of the Awards. The release characterised the 12 years as “challenging at times”, having to break past the mental resistance of organisations to move away from the status quo. “CSR and Sustainability have increasingly become a vital cog in every organisation regionally and globally,” Al Mar’ashi Al Hashmi said. “In our part of the world, there is scope for so much more to be done to increase awareness and knowledge about the issues, something that Arabia CSR Network has been doing since its inception, 15 years ago.

“We have been blessed all along to have visionary organisations that share our vision to be the driving force and benchmark in the Arab World. This platform has been able to advance CSR and sustainability awareness and practices in the region. This has resulted in their ability to address regional issues and concerns that aim to achieve a balance between profitability and sustainable development, respectively. We welcome all entities working in the Arab Region to step forward and join hands with us in this dynamic journey.”