Training for companies to implement CSR

In line with the Year of the Giving, the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation (MBRF) has launched a "bundle of training programmes" on Wednesday to help public and private organisations in the UAE identify and implement the international best practices in corporate social responsibility (CSR).

Called Qindeel (Arabic word for light) Educational Programmes, the project which started in 2016, are a set of training courses aimed at training employees and helping companies initiate CSR departments and review current CSR models.

Jamal bin Huwaireb, MBRF managing director, said: "MBRF hopes to make an immense contribution to society by promoting social responsibility in the UAE. (We) are committed to playing a positive role in society and to motivating young people, educating them, and developing and channelling their capacities towards the sustainable development of society as a whole.

"The foundation will be working to identify best practices when it comes to social responsibility, looking back on international success stories and working to implement them in the UAE. MBRF and Qindeel Educational will cooperate to train qualified individuals working in social responsibility and provide them with necessary counsel in all matters related to this field."

Dr Khalid Wazani, strategy and knowledge advisor at MBRF, said companies who want to participate in the programme "will barely bear the cost of the training as the MBRF will sponsor it."

MBRF and Qindeel will also help companies with no CSR units to set up their own social programmes. "With help from international bodies, we will build CSR criteria to help companies evaluate their programmes and benchmark whether or not they are meeting the criteria. This is and similar to the reading index established by MBRF last year."

Wazani also said Qindeel Educational will organise a forum on social responsibility in the last quarter of this year. Also part of the programme are field visits and study tours to countries such as Singapore, South Korea, Germany, UK, USA and Sweden.

-Khaleej Times