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INTRODUCTION 8 <strong>Tamkeen</strong> 2007
1. BACKGROUND The term corporate social responsibility, or CSR as it is commonly referred to, has attracted considerable attention lately in Saudi Arabia particularly within regional business and media circles. In Saudi newspapers, the frequency of reporting on ‘social responsibility’ in connection with business increased seven-fold between 2005 and 2006. 1 Business forums and conferences dedicated to CSR are also surfacing in almost every Arab capital with strong political patronage and support. 2 On the other hand anecdotal evidence suggests that the average consumer and business manager in the region is not clear about the meaning of CSR, and some dismiss it as a foreign concept. This raises many questions about whether the entire affair is just another ‘much ado about nothing’. The language may be fresh to many, but the underlying connections between business and society are established facts. In the long term, successful business needs a healthy society and vice versa. The responsibilities for ensuring the health of both is intertwined and complex. The business role in this endeavour takes on many forms. The mere fact that companies create jobs and wealth is in itself one of the key pillars for contributing to a healthy society in a market economy. Governments supposedly create the framework conditions for efficient operation and growth of private enterprises. This includes ensuring efficient market regulations, fair competition, protection of workers’ rights and the environment. Companies working within the spirit of the law, focusing on core business and wealth creation are supposedly fulfilling their responsibilities. Reality tends to be much more complex. Markets do not always work perfectly, and the institutions that govern and regulate them are often not functioning. Increasingly, companies are expected to take on a proactive role, beyond the spirit of the law, in addressing the social and environmental consequences of their activities. Issues such as employment, safe products, and environmentally friendly production methods beyond regulations are some of the wellpublicised issues of this corporate social agenda. Further expectations are seen in light of the opportunities for businesses to contribute to the development of the society in which they operate and benefit society in areas where Governments need to help. Increasingly Governments are seeking partnerships with business and civic society to work out solutions for these challenges. Essentially, CSR and various crystallisations of the term underline a message of proactive engagement of business in society, but the boundaries of this proactive engagement and the issues are changing over time and space. It is this message of CSR, and the issues that matter for Saudi society that interested us and inspired us to do this study. 9 <strong>Tamkeen</strong> 2007
Page 2 and 3: FOREWORD Today, corporate social re
Page 4 and 5: Study Scope • A focus on the Saud
Page 6 and 7: CSR movement in Saudi Arabia is in
Page 10 and 11: Saudi Arabia's development challeng
Page 12 and 13: cultures and socio-political situat
Page 14 and 15: 4. THE STUDY AND PROCESS Background
Page 16 and 17: On the Process Sometimes the proces
Page 18 and 19: STUDY RESULTS 18 Tamkeen 2007
Page 20 and 21: emerging economies such as adjustin
Page 22 and 23: action without much detail on outco
Page 24 and 25: 6. THE VIEWS FROM SAUDI BUSINESS LE
Page 26 and 27: ‘either our education system is n
Page 28 and 29: Priority Social Issues & Concerns I
Page 30 and 31: ‘closing the gap between what the
Page 32 and 33: Business Strategy, Competitiveness
Page 34 and 35: and internal code of conduct docume
Page 36 and 37: 7. SUMMARY AND OBSERVATIONS develop
Page 38 and 39: WAYS FORWARD 38 Tamkeen 2007
Page 40 and 41: 8. SETTING PRIORITIES There will be
Page 42 and 43: environment that affect the underly
Page 44 and 45: APPENDIX A Saudi Companies in the S
Page 46 and 47: NOTES 1- For example a search in th

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