His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council, has approved the policy adopted by The Executive Council which will encourage companies in the private sector to engage in corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. The announcement came during the council’s meeting held at Expo 2020 Dubai.
HH Sheikh Hamdan emphasized that social responsibility has a central role to play in strengthening the society and providing the space for the private sector to contribute to Dubai’s overall development.
His Highness said: “The deep commitment demonstrated by local companies and the private sector to social responsibility values reflects the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to promote partnerships between the private, public and non-profit sectors with the aim of creating a positive impact on the community. The concept of social responsibility represents the commitment of companies to enhance the wellbeing and happiness of the community. Strong partnerships with the private sector, which is a strategic partner in our development journey, is vital to accelerate our development plans.”
Noting the significant contribution of the private sector during the pandemic through the Community Solidarity Fund which amounted to more than AED 356 million, HH Sheikh Hamdan acknowledge that private sector institutions have already been showing their capability to fulfil social responsibilities.
The new policy aims to help companies align their projects in accordance with the priorities set by the government. Based on a study conducted by Dubai’s Community Development Authority (CDA),
67 per cent of CSR initiatives in the emirate were directed towards education, while 63 per cent are invested in promoting environmental causes, and 58 per cent focused on ways to empower people of determination.
During the meeting, The Executive Council also approved the Road and Transport Authority’s joint mobility plan and electric scooter policy aimed at advancing sustainable transport in the emirate. According to surveys, Dubai has seen an increased use of electric scooters where a total of 390,000 electric scooter journeys recorded between October 2020 to June 2021. The emirate is striving to legalise and operate multiple means of joint transportation as part of a sustainable mobility plan.