The Saudi Arabian Responsible Competitiveness Index (SARCI)
"Business is not only about creating value for shareholders - it is also about the lives of the people that we employ, the communities that interact with every day. Increasingly businesses around the world are beginning to realize that they need to operate in a responsible manner, investing in the long-term and helping to create enterprises that will generate value for shareholders, employees and communities." - Dr. Abdulraham A. Al Zamil, Chairman of the Board, Zamil Industrial, GCF 2009
SARCI is the most in-depth assessment of responsible business practices undertaken in the Kingdom. The SARCI partners are the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA), the King Khalid Foundation, AccountAbility, Tamkeen, and Al-Eqtesadyah.
The core of the Saudi Responsible Competitiveness Index is an annual assessment of leading businesses in Saudi Arabia. Eligible businesses are large or small, public or private, Saudi or foreign, from any sector. Businesses which chose to participate have had an in-depth discussion of their performance with trained analysts, based on AccountAbility's global Responsible Competitiveness Index (RCI) framework.
The Responsible Competitiveness Index is designed to build performance. The framework assesses performance against drivers of responsible competitiveness. Companies win recognition for demonstrating good performance across 28 different areas, including making smart philanthropic investments; creating policies to attract, develop and retain a talented and diverse workforce; and managing their supply chains to support local businesses and better environmental and social conditions. 40 companies responded to the open-invitation. SARCI is an integral part of the Saudi Responsible Competitiveness Initiative.
King Khalid Responsible Competitiveness Award
The Index and the awards were launched on 25 January at the Global Competitiveness Forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Rewarding the top ranking companies, King Khalid Foundation presents the King Khalid Responsible Competitiveness Awards. The three companies presented with this award during the opening ceremony which opened under the patronage of the custodian of the Two Holy Mosques HM King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz are:
Download the Saudi Responsible Competitiveness Index report in English which presents cases from innovative bookstores, small clean-tech firms and international banks to demonstrate how companies are driving productivity through responsible business practices. The report concludes that the Kingdom is becoming a diverse, vibrant and responsible economy.
Read the press release and the SARCI Q&A for more information or visit www.rci.org.sa.
Partners of SARCI: