Global CSR Forum, Riyadh

In October Saudi Arabia hosted its first ever Global CSR Forum aimed at putting Corporate Social Responsibility firmly on the map in line with its Vision 2030 to establish the Kingdom as a global leader.  Sponsored by King Salman Bin Abdulaziz and organised by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development the event had lofty ambitions to make a local and global impact supercharging CSR and showcasing best practice.

Among the sessions I moderated was “ Responsibility at Heart- into the Next Era of Responsible Businesses through Alliances and Cooperation” with senior representatives from the UN Global Compact and UNESCO as well as the leading hotel chain Accor. We discussed how public private partnerships could help get the SDG’s back on track. The latest UN report says only 17percent of SDGs are likely to be met by 2030.

I also asked  top business leaders tips for engaging every employee in CSR in a panel entitled “Everybody’s Business”.

MCing  a raft of announcements and agreements to advance education, research, innovation and youth engagement it was clear that when it comes to CSR, Saudi Arabia means business.