Business & Money | Wednesday 27 July, 2016 1:16 pm |

Sadara Chemical Company has concluded its “Gift of Giving” campaign, a wide-ranging Jubail community outreach effort conducted during the holy month of Ramadan and the Eid Al-Fitr holiday. 

 

The campaign consisted of four main initiatives – Iftar Sa’em, Day of Joy, Home Renovation and Joyful Eid – all focused on giving back to the Jubail community and encouraging Sadara employee volunteerism. More than 125 Sadara volunteers participated in the various events and initiatives, contributing over 1,000 volunteer hours throughout the campaign. The events were organized and executed with support from the Jubail Volunteering Club (JVC).   

 

Faisal Algurouni, Vice President of Industrial Relations at Sadara, stressed that Sadara is committed to providing ongoing support and development to the community in Jubail, where the company is based. He said: “Sadara is proud to collaborate with local institutions such as the Jubail Volunteering Club in efforts of this kind – providing the local community with vital support in the form of social programs and initiatives that create value and foster growth, particularly for underprivileged segments of the community. The holy month of Ramadan provides a unique opportunity to deliver this kind of support and build positive, long-lasting ties with the community.”   

 

The first of Sadara’s Gift of Giving events, Iftar Sa’em, took place on June 18, 2016 (13 Ramadan 1437h) in downtown Jubail. Volunteers provided over 2,000 nutritious Iftar meals prepared by “productive families” in Jubail. Some 25 Sadara employees teamed up with 10 JVC members to help make this collaboration a success.  

 

Fahad Al-Qahtani, Customer Services Coordinator at Sadara and volunteer at the Iftar Sa’em event, said, “As Muslims, we’re encouraged to practice compassion, gratitude and humility, particularly during the month of Ramadan, which is why I chose to participate in this year’s Iftar Sa’em event. It’s the perfect opportunity for volunteers to give back to the community and say ‘thank you’ to those who deserve it the most, but often receive the least. All were welcome to join and break fast communally, regardless of religion or nationality; it was a truly humbling experience.”    

 

The Day of Joy initiative organized a day of entertainment and educational activities for underprivileged orphan children in the Jubail area. Sadara hosted 49 orphan children under the care of three different Charitable Societies. The program started off with Iftar meals for all the children, followed by games, contests, educational shows and entertainment. Gifts and giveaways were distributed throughout the night, including more than 60 vouchers, three Sony PlayStation systems, three Canon cameras, 12 tablet devices and other items. The charities that took part described the initiative as the first of its kind, setting a precedent for orphan care in the Jubail area during the month of Ramadan.

 

The third initiative, Home Renovation, ran from June 26 to July 8, 2016, as Sadara and the JVC worked together to provide comprehensive renovations to the homes of six needy families in the Jubail area, including painting, plumbing, furniture installation and electrical renovations. Families were also provided with food baskets and essential supplies for Ramadan and the Eid holiday.   

 

For Eid of Joy, the final initiative in Sadara’s “Gift of Giving” campaign, volunteers from Sadara and the JVC teamed up to distribute gifts on the first day of Eid Al-Fitr at various locations in the Jubail area. The gesture was Sadara’s way of saying “thank you” to the residents of Jubail. Gifts were distributed to needy families, custodial workers and manual laborers in Jubail Industrial City, as well medical staff, security and patients at several hospitals in Jubail. 

 

The “Gift of Giving” campaign was sponsored by Sadara as part of its social welfare programs and was executed in partnership with the JVC (a part of the Royal Commission’s Social Services Division).