The curtains came down yesterday on the 16th Arabia Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Awards, following a ceremony commemorating the winners at the Anantara Downtown Hotel in Dubai. Popularly known as the ‘Green Oscars of the Middle East’, the 16th Arabia CSR Awards was held under the patronage of H.H. Eng. Sheikh Salem Bin Sultan Bin Saqr Al-Qasimi, Chairman of the Ras Al Khaimah Civil Aviation Department and Member of the Executive Council of the Government of Ras Al Khaimah.

Launched in 2008, the home-grown accolade of the Arab region receives external verification from DNV, a globally recognised provider of business assurance. The Award has earned credibility, respect and recognition through the international frameworks and principles incorporated into its methodologies such as the 10 Principles of the UN Global Compact, Global Investors for Sustainable Development (GISD) Alliance, GRI Standards framework, EFQM business excellence model and the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. 

The awards ceremony was generously sponsored by esteemed entities including Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company (GPIC), Bahrain Petroleum Company (BAPCO), China State Construction Engineering Corporation Middle East and McDonald’s UAE. The 16th Arabia CSR Awards was recognised as a carbon neutral event courtesy of FARNEK, effectively counter balancing any emissions arising from transportation or other related activities.

The debut of the annual Arabia CSR Awards 16 years ago coincided with the birth of a nascent stage of CSR and sustainability in the Arab world. The initiative was conceived to enlighten, inspire and incentivise entities to embrace social responsibility, ethical business practices and a culture of transparency. The Awards hold a well-defined purpose: to advocate for and explore the latest regional CSR and sustainability advancements, trends and benchmarks. In pursuit of this goal, over the past 16 years, the programme has steadfastly acknowledged and celebrated entities that have displayed exceptional leadership and dedication to CSR and sustainability.

Since inception, the Arabia CSR Awards have attracted 1,585 registrations from over 1,340 organisations belonging to 14 Arab countries and covering more than 44 sectors.

The current cycle received applications from all around the Arab region spanning a diverse spectrum of industries, affirming the region’s commitment to sustainability and corporate responsibility. An independent jury panel scrupulously oversaw the evaluation process. The results were externally validated through a reputed third-party entity. The assessments and feedback from the jury were diligently shared with the applicants, offering valuable insights by delineating both strengths and weaknesses and providing constructive recommendations.

This iterative methodology has played a pivotal role in enabling several organisations to refine their sustainability strategies and blueprints every year. Repeated winners of the awards have acknowledged the crucial role of the Arabia CSR Awards, particularly the jury assessment, in enriching their knowledge and proficiency in Environmental, Social, and Governance practices.

List of Winners:

Large Public Sector Category

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority - Winner

Municipality and Planning Department – Ajman - 1st Runner Up

Environment Agency Abu Dhabi (EAD) - 2nd Runner Up

Public Prosecution Dubai - Special Recognition

Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing - Special Recognition

Small Public Sector Category

Department of Civil Aviation, Ras Al Khaimah - Winner

Al Ain Distribution Company - Special Recognition

Large Business Category        

Accenture ME - Winner

Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company - Winner

BAPCO - 1st Runner Up

Tristar Transport - 2nd Runner Up (Tie)

Les Eaux Minerales D’Oulmes - 2nd Runner Up (Tie)

VFS Global - Special Recognition

Medium Business Category  

Canpack Middle East One Person Company LLC - Winner (Tie)

Bin Dasmal Engineering Technologies & Management – Winner (Tie)

CROWN Emirates Co. Ltd. - 1st Runner Up

Retal Urban Development Company  - 2nd Runner Up

Small Business Category        

Transworld Group - Winner

Labotel Workers Village - 1st Runner Up

ISS Relocations - 2nd Runner Up

Financial Services Category   

Jordan Ahli Bank - Winner

Cooperative & Agricultural Credit Bank (CAC BANK) - 1st Runner Up

Bank of Africa - 2nd Runner Up

Energy Sector Category          

Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC) - Winner

Saudi Aramco - Ras Tanura Producing Department - 1st Runner Up

Masdar - 2nd Runner

Hospitality Sector Category  

Two Seasons Hotel & Apartments - Winner

Conrad Dubai  - 1st Runner Up

FIVE Holdings  - 2nd Runner Up (Tie)

Delta Hotels by Marriott Jumeirah Beach - 2nd Runner Up

Healthcare Sector Category  

Aster DM Healthcare - Winner

Emirates Health Services - 1st Runner Up

Royal Bahrain Hospital - 2nd Runner Up

Construction Sector Category             

China State Construction Engineering Corporation (Middle East) - Winner

Automotive Industry Category           

Mohamed Naser Al-Sayer & Sons Est. Co. - Winner

Partnerships and Collaborations Category   

Abu Dhabi Police General Headquarters/Community Police Department - Winner (Tie)

Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Ma'aden) - Winner (Tie)

Aldar Properties - 1st Runner Up (Tie)

SEDCO Holding - 1st Runner Up (Tie)

Arada - 2nd Runner Up (Tie)

Jusoor Foundation - 2nd Runner Up (Tie)