Dubai lends a helping hand in supporting youth

The Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s ENGAGE Dubai initiative, managed by its Centre for Responsible Business, spearheaded the Give & Gain Day Dubai on May 16. The largest and most prestigious employee volunteering programme in Dubai joined thousands of global employees to lend a helping hand in promoting youth, which is the theme of this year’s programme organised in cooperation with Business in the Community (BITC) UK.

More than 100 volunteers from businesses across Dubai swapped their usual work day to make a difference to the communities they live and work in. They actively engaged in supporting young people in schools, special needs day centres, and youth groups, doing everything from art classes to employability workshops and entrepreneur training for students.

Companies which took part in the volunteering event included Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, AF Carilion, Al Fara’a Group, Bupa International in partnership with Oman Insurance Company, Cisco, Dubal, Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Mars, Mashreq, SHL and ZAFCO.

Give & Gain Day touched upon the lives of 793 people from 10 organisation including Al Noor Training Centre for Children with Special Needs, Angel Appeal, Awladouna Centre for Learning and Rehabilitation, Dubai Autism Center, Higher College of Technology Dubai Men’s College, Injaz, Manzil, Mawaheb, Senses and University of Dubai who benefitted from the time, expertise and skills of the business volunteers participating in the initiative.

Dr Belaid Rettab, Senior Director, Economic Research and Sustainable Business Development Sector, Dubai Chamber, said: “It was indeed a very rewarding experience to support communities in greatest need as this year’s theme of youth served school students, undergraduates and people with disabilities.

“This year too, a large number of local companies’ employees volunteered their expertise and work hours to make the Give & Gain Day such a huge success in Dubai and the initiative also contributed in spreading the message of corporate social responsibility among businesses,” he added.

Dr. Rettab further stated that volunteering programmes, like ENGAGE Dubai, leave a long lasting impact on companies while bringing them increased loyalty and employee satisfaction as these enhance the skills of staff and increase their motivation and the participating companies reap the rewards of a more energised, more focused and more positive workforce.

Khalid Buhumaid, Vice President, Corporate Relations & International Affairs at DUBAL, added, “Understanding the needs of the local community is essential to its meaningful development and we strongly believe that volunteering brings people together, giving opportunities for individuals to support other families, improve youth literacy and conserve the environment. With more than 33 nationalities in DUBAL’s workforce, volunteering also unites people from different backgrounds towards a common goal. So, to DUBAL, Give & Gain goes beyond a day: It is a community investment where every person counts.”

Mahmoud Sakr, General Manager of Jumeirah Beach Hotel, said: “The Jumeirah Beach Hotel has an enduring commitment to actively engage and support our local community.  We have developed a holistic approach to serving the community and my team has participated in several initiatives in support of our wider Corporate Social Responsibility Strategy.  The Senses Campaign, an initiative recently unveiled at the hotel, resulted in numerous colleagues dedicating time and resources to support Senses.  As a team we have fostered a culture that has an un-wavering commitment to be thoughtful and generous to not only our guests but to the community that we serve. My Team and the Jumeirah Group is proud to be part of such an important cause and we are committed to extending our support to help provide a better environment for these children.”

Sebastian Thomas, Chief Operating Officer at ZAFCO said: “As a global, socially-responsible corporate citizen, ZAFCO always explores opportunities to support local communities by providing time and resources, sharing expertise and extending financial support. The company has also committed itself to several social responsibility initiatives and would like to go the extra mile to offer a positive benefit to the community and to feel a sense of belonging for its associates, families, communities and society in general.”

Ambar Brahmachary, Head of Marketing & Customer Experience, Mashreq commented, “The role of volunteering is invaluable in today’s society and it is important to raise public awareness in this area. At Mashreq we take our responsibility towards the community seriously. We constantly encourage our staff to volunteer and share their knowledge and experience to create an engaged community. Throughout the year, we try to participate in significant initiatives that contribute to the betterment of our society. Mashreq employees are excited to once again be part of this day.”

Set up in November 2008 by the Centre for Responsible Business, ENGAGE Dubai is an international programme, which brings together businesses and community organisations around in Dubai to increase the quality and amount of employee community engagement in their local communities. Originally, the ENGAGE programme has been established since 2002 in London by the Business in the Community (BITC) organisation and is operating in other major cities such as Paris, Frankfurt, Istanbul, and Hong Kong.