As part of its strategic plans, the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce & Industry, SCCI, has reinforced its role in the corporate social responsibility field, through its diversified of contributions to the social responsibility field, which are tailored to serve various society segments. Such efforts were more apparent since the emergence of the new coronavirus (COVID-19) through launching, sponsoring, and supporting a lot of initiatives aimed at curbing the repercussions of the crisis.

Seven incentives for the business community

In this context, His Excellency Abdullah Sultan Al Owais, Chairman, SCCI, said: “Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the SCCI has enhanced its role as an advocate of the business community and a representative of the private sector by addressing their challenges and submitting their needs to the competent authorities to come up with tailored initiatives and incentives to help them promote their businesses. Among those initiatives was the fruitful coordination with the Executive Council which launched a stimulus package adopted by Sharjah’s government to support the public and private sectors, business sectors, individuals. This included the SCCI’s seven initiatives that have been approved and they are currently being implemented. This comes as part of our keenness to help the private sector overcome the current stage.”

“We have been keen to develop our institutional performance through a forward-looking vision based on innovative mechanisms and an advanced digital infrastructure. This helped us to enhance our readiness and to continue our services for the business community in the current circumstances. We’ve also strengthened our remote working system and to handle the repercussions of the current circumstances in a professional manner.  This in addition to adopting the best international practices and innovative initiatives to maintain the private sector’s leadership and excellence and to boost the status of the business community as a regional and global destination for business practice, as well as to entrench the institutional performance efficiency and to maintain our gains,”

Serving society at large

Al Owais added: “As an organization mainly concerned with the economic affairs, we always consider the economic side of the corporate social responsibility to achieve the sustainable development that serves society at large. In the meantime, we don’t overlook the launch and support of the humanitarian, academic, knowledge, cultural, social, health, sports, media, environmental, religious, and other initiatives. Over the past years, the SCCI has paid great attention to launching social initiatives, as part of our belief in enhancing all means of social, voluntary and humanitarian work that spurs on the noble Islamic morals and principles.”

The SCCI has begun the application of social responsibility principles through integrating these concepts into its employees, by establishing a department the public relations and social responsibility, through which the chamber has carried out numerous initiatives and has sponsored a host of activities and events for humanitarian and volunteer action.

Sponsoring school and university students

The SCCI has further expanded its communal activities to include school and university students, where it donated 20 laptops, as part of its efforts to support the Sharjah Center for Learning Difficulties (SCLD) in continuing to provide its services to its affiliates through the distance learning program.

This came within the framework of the existing cooperation between the Sharjah Chamber and the SCLD, aiming to work together to enhance their role in community service, and to achieve the goals that promote the joint partnership. The gesture aims to ensure SCCI’s social responsibility towards motivating the private sector in the emirate.

Also, the SSCI has launched special awards for creative students, such as the Sharjah Chamber’s Award for Innovators jointly with the University of Sharjah, “Mihnati” (My Career) initiative for field training implemented by the SCCI’s Sharjah Training and Development Center, a special award category of social responsibility to enterprises from the public and private sectors, as part of the Sharjah Excellence Award sponsored by the Chamber which developed a working system simulating the most important thrusts in the field of social responsibility such as society, environment, workplace, stakeholders, and many other social initiatives that emphasize the SCCI’s vital role in the social responsibility, as the first representative of the business community.

Al Owais concluded his remarks with calling the private sector in Sharjah to adopt this culture as an integral part of its strategic plans, as well as its institutional goals, values, and initiatives, urging the business community to consider social responsibility as national, ethical, and professional duty and to play an essential role in serving the country, society, and humanity.