Prince Nawaf bin Faisal, president of the General Presidency of Youth Welfare (GPYW), said here that there should be greater coordination between the public and private sectors to set up and fund youth development programs in business, sports and social activities.

The prince was speaking at a two-day corporate social responsibility forum that concluded Wednesday.

The GPYW, Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee and the Saudi Law Training Center organized the event. Saudi Research and Marketing Group (SRMG) was the main sponsor of the forum.

“We thank Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah for his directives and continuous support for programs benefiting young citizens in the Kingdom.”

“Our aim is to adopt special programs and forums for young entrepreneurs. We welcome the cooperation between all private and government sectors to serve the younger generation. The GPYW aims to educate young people on the basis of Islamic teachings and promote their interest in sports and social activities."

He urged the private sector to fund academic research and studies to help counter drug abuse and terrorism. “We want permanent cooperation between the relevant authorities in education, the General Directorate for Drug Control, the Ministry of Islamic Affairs and specialized nongovernmental organizations to protect Saudi youth.”

“The GPYW wants to create sports centers across the Kingdom to develop the abilities of young people. It is also focusing on exchanging youth delegations with countries around the world to boost national unity.”

Saud Al-Sahli, assistant secretary-general of the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the forum highlighted the social responsibility duties of the business sector in supporting youth development programs.

Majed Garoub, president of the Saudi Law Training Center, said the government should pass laws making it mandatory for businesses to support youth development initiatives.

Khaled Al-Jasser, chief executive officer at Bank Al-Bilad, said: “The bank feels that it has a social responsibility to serve all sectors of society, especially young people." He said it was important for private sector companies to work with government in this area.

Dalal Al-Dosari, head of Impact CSR solutions, urged the local football union and professional league clubs to support youth programs. This could be done by having special awards for top performing young people, to build their morale.

Senior Saudi officials and businesspeople attended the event. Prince Nawaf presented mementos to the sponsors and organizers.