RIYADH, 28 December 2005 — The Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) has announced that it will institute prizes for orphanages, charitable endowments and philanthropic support for funding educational activities and scientific research. There will also be a prize for a businesswoman participating in charitable activities, while foreign companies operating in the Kingdom could qualify for an award in the field of community service. Prizes in the form of shields and trophies will be handed out both to individuals and organizations on the basis of nominations received from the RCCI members.
This was disclosed by Abdulrahman Al-Jeraisy, president of the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry and chairman of the Community Service Prize Committee at RCCI. The date for announcement of the prize has not yet been declared. The RCCI set up last year a Community Service Department tasked with the responsibility of strengthening the chamber’s relationship with the community through social and charitable works. Launched with the support of Riyadh Governor Prince Salman, the department made its debut with some pioneering programs by setting up committees dedicated to the welfare of patients, prisoners and those freed from detention and are in need of rehabilitation. It also recognized services rendered in the fields of environmental protection, poverty alleviation and housing.
Jeraisy said that in view of the overwhelming support from its members received at the first session last year, RCCI has decided to extend the scope of prizes to new fields ranging from support for orphans to education and research and development (R&D) efforts. Nominations are open to all companies, firms, factories and individuals who are members of the RCCI.
The institution of a prize for scientific research is significant, since Arab nations spend only 0.15 percent of their GDP on R&D, which is well below the world average of 1.4 percent.
Asked if the number of charitable organizations in the Kingdom (300, according to the Ministry of Social Affairs) was low compared to those working in other countries, the RCCI president said that it was not the number but the quality that mattered. He explained how the Disabled Children’s Association under Prince Sultan ibn Salman was serving 3,500 handicapped children in the fields of education, health care, rehabilitation and social and psychological care. On the prize for businesswomen in the field of community service, Jeraisy said it would be one of the categories for which nominations have been received for the next session of the Community Service Prize Committee.
“Charitable activities have flourished thanks to women’s initiatives. We want to recognize their contribution in this field by offering them a prize,” he said, adding that the nomination of the prize is open for both men and women.
