Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) should be the basic principle that drives growth in companies, and its principles must be adopted and implemented on a day-to-day basis, said an expert ahead of a major CSR seminar in Dubai.

“The best companies are those which demonstrate that they are committed to a long term sustainable strategy that balances the interest of all stakeholders,” said Ibrahim Al-Zu’bi, head of CSR at Majid Al Futtaim Properties, the leading developer of ‎shopping malls together with hotels and ‎communities, and speaker at this year’s CSR Summit.

The ninth CSR Summit will take place from June 10 to 13 at The Mövenpick Hotel Jumeirah Beach.

“Getting this balance right is Corporate Social Responsibility and underlies the principles that drive growth which should be economically efficient, socially fair and environmentally sustainable. Companies need to realise that CSR is not just the responsibility of the CEO, senior management team or the board. To be truly effective, CSR principles must be adopted by everybody in the organisation.”

Al-Zu’bi said sustainable CSR policies need to work in conjunction with partners. Majid Al Futtaim Properties (MAF) reduces the amount of CO2 emissions from cars by encouraging its customers to use public transportation.

MAF engages in active dialogue with its tenants in order to reduce energy waste in their stores and encourage environmentally friendly procedures such as tenants signing “green clauses”. It has also introduced “green star” ratings based on how environmentally efficient tenants are.

Rabea Ataya, CEO of leading job site Bayt.com and also a speaker at the Summit, said: “At Bayt.com, we strongly feel that the community at large is a key stakeholder that must be engaged and satisfied for the sustainability of our work. Our CSR focus comes from the realization that we can only succeed if we empower people in our community to lead better lives.”

Ataya will discuss how organisations can lock CSR into its core business along with other speakers.

For the second consecutive year, PepsiCo will once again be holding its CSR Youth Forum, bringing together like-minded youth from around the region to debate and develop a route for creating a more sustainable and healthier future for the Middle East.

This year’s full-day event will include interactive workshops, speaker panels and discussion groups on topics relating to health, environment and talent sustainability under the theme of ‘Be the Change’. PepsiCo is investing in this forum to provide a platform where youth can have their voices heard and to build their leadership capabilities in the area of social responsibility. – TradeArabia News Service