The “Societal” Sector: A Wave of Opportunity for Saudi Arabia's Youth
29 Jun 2009 in Education, Employment, Civic Participation
Alaa Al-Mizyen is our Youth Ambassador from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. She is currently a student at Dar Al-Hekma College where she is majoring in banking and finance.
In the wake of rampant economic and industrial expansion, high-profile corporations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have found themselves continuously under pressure to stake out their “competitive edge,” or that which separates them from rival firms in their industry. Forget the worn out nitty-gritty of marketing and branding theories; the latest socioeconomic trend that factors into this drive for competitive advantage in the region is that of corporate social responsibility. From prominent national firms to the smallest of enterprises, businesses – with the encouragement of policymakers and the government – are striving to generate societal value alongside expected economic returns.
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) may, more or less, be defined as a business's way to sustain profit all the while achieving economic and societal value. When any firm takes on CSR, it must first scan local demographics in addition to addressing pressing societal needs. A mere glimpse of Saudi Arabia's demographic profile provides corporations with a clear indication of who they should be addressing: the youth.
With well over half of the nation's population under the age of 30, a number of leading corporations and businesses have chosen to devote their respective CSR units to providing youth with a wide array of developmental opportunities. The public sector, including the national government and regional municipalities, has also devoted ceaseless efforts towards the overall development of Saudi Arabia's “Y generation.”
The most common national CSR practices targeting youth are college and university sponsorships granted by leading corporations to students. Under such programs, the firm covers all expenses for the student and grants them an open door to their corporation, should the student choose to join them upon graduation. Otacuschez, a café that prides itself on its various contributions to the local and global environment, held the i2020 essay competition calling on the nation's youth to envision Saudi Arabia in the year 2020 and how they plan on making an impact.[1] The winners were awarded and invited to attend leadership workshops. In providing youth with opportunities for self-development through the sponsorship of educational, societal and leadership programs, corporations are addressing a pressing societal need all the while gaining economic profit.
Whereas the private sector has only recently begun to incorporate social development into its core scope, the Saudi government and several public organizations have long been cultivating such practices. The Ministry of Education has granted thousands of full college scholarships to Saudi undergraduate and graduate students to study abroad for decades. Apart from the national government are the various regional municipalities, doing their part to promote a safe and encouraging environment for their young citizens. A deserted piece of land I used to pass by everyday on my way to college has been transformed over the past month into a public soccer field for young men by the Jeddah municipality. The Society of Majid Bin Abdulaziz for Development and Social Services, on the other hand, directs a wide range of programs that youth can benefit from, including training programs, initiatives to encourage volunteer work, and the facilitation of easy loans. In 2007, approximately 226 girls benefited from its training center.[2] Clearly, the goals of the private and public sectors are meeting in this developing “societal” sector, which serves the needs of society and promotes opportunities for the youth generation.
In addition to serving youth, CSR in Saudi Arabia has addressed all spectrums of society, from the disabled to the homeless and the needy. I am enthused by this trend, however, I do tend to wonder whether these opportunities provided by CSR units are available in the less urbanized areas of the Kingdom where they are most needed. Forums regarding the subject continue to be held, both locally and regionally, encouraging the community as a whole to adopt an attitude focused on “giving back.” I'd like to see these forums not only praise or build on the practice but provide in-depth statistics on who they've impacted, where, and the duration of the initiative. As with any societal force, the measurement and analysis of such a trend will prove to be a challenge, but the statistics will definitely come in handy in quantifying overall impact. I don't know about you, but, all in all, this is one socioeconomic trend I am definitely giving a thumbs up.
