UAE and KSA lead in promoting sustainable and socially responsible practice

10x Industry

Mita Srinivasan
10x Industry
Published:

UAE and KSA lead in promoting sustainable and socially responsible practice

The new report found that managers in the UAE were more likely to strongly agree that investing in CSR activities has a long-term, net-positive impact on ‘my’ business’s bottom line (profits) compared to managers in the KSA. Over 60 percent of UAE brands have experienced a tangible growth in consumer engagement as a direct result of increased in CSR activities. 52 percent of KSA’s respondents believe that CSR activities improve consumer trust with brands and strengthen brand loyalty.

In recent years, countries in the Middle East have started to take significant steps towards fostering a culture of social responsibility, with the UAE and KSA leading the way in promoting sustainable and socially responsible practices. The findings were revealed in the annual MENA CSR Report 2022 released by Cicero & Bernay Communication Consultancy (C&B) in partnership with 3Gem Research and Insights.

The new report found that managers in the UAE were more likely to strongly agree that investing in CSR activities has a long-term, net-positive impact on ‘my’ business’s bottom line (profits) compared to managers in the KSA. Over 60 percent of UAE brands have experienced a tangible growth in consumer engagement as a direct result of increased in CSR activities. 52 percent of KSA’s respondents believe that CSR activities improve consumer trust with brands and strengthen brand loyalty.

The increased perception of the importance of CSR in the region, especially in the UAE, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, signals a significant shift towards a more sustainable and socially responsible business environment. This highlights the increasing recognition of the role that businesses can play in promoting sustainable development and the potential for these countries to lead the way in this area.

The 2022 report also highlights a positive change in sentiment among some previously low-scoring countries. The survey engaged 314 C-level executives from nine countries across 12 industries in the MENA region, providing a representative sample of the business community, with respondents from companies of various sizes and sectors. The survey was designed to be comprehensive, covering a wide range of topics that are relevant to the corporate social responsibility (CSR) landscape in the region. As a result, the CSR MENA Report is a credible and solid source of information that provides insights into the perceptions and actions of business leaders in the region.

According to the report, overall efforts to increase CSR grew significantly in the UAE and the GCC compared to last year’s report, with over 90 percent of those surveyed being in tune with CSR’s definition and purpose. The report also found that eight in ten UAE companies are planning to increase their CSR practices, with Egypt and the GCC now at a similar level, with over 65 percent of the companies, on average, actively tracking and enforcing CSR performance.

The latest CSR report revealed that the majority (three-quarters) of MENA companies plan to increase their CSR activities over the next 12 months, with a further fifth planning to replicate their CSR activities from last year. Also promising to discover, was that hardly any companies will be scaling back CSR activities. This latest edition offers valuable insights into how businesses continue to approach corporate social responsibility now and for the future.