Dubai Chamber organises its largest employee volunteering event

Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s ‘Engage Dubai’ initiative organised its largest employee volunteering initiative ‘Give & Gain Day’ in UAE on May 19.

Managed by the Chamber’s Centre for Responsible Business, the global event is organised in cooperation with Business in the Community (BITC) UK. Last year over 31,000 volunteers in 36 countries took part globally.

Participating for the sixth year running, ‘Engage Dubai’ mobilised employees to volunteer during work hours in communities to make a real difference on the issues that matter to the business community, schools, universities, local charities and community groups.

This time over 760 volunteers from 26 ‘Engage Dubai’ Corporate Members spent over 1,600 volunteering hours to support over 1,200 individuals through community projects organized by 20 community organizations. Compared to last year, 27 per cent more volunteers participated through various venues in Dubai, Sharjah and Fujairah.

Dr. Belaid Rettab, Senior Director, Economic Research and Sustainable Business Development Sector, Dubai Chamber, stated that the ‘Give & Gain Day’ is a celebration of the power and potential of employee volunteering across the world. This initiative comes as part of Dubai Chamber’s efforts to promote responsible business and to spread a culture of corporate social responsibility as well as to spark the desire to adopt voluntary work amongst the business community.

“The idea behind the event is also to encourage companies to work jointly with like-minded organisations as the expertise and time employee volunteers give to communities go on to make a difference in the lives of the various sections of the society who deserve and need this type of support,” he said.

‘Engage Dubai’ has worked with its community partners to come up with some unique projects that companies can just sign up to including give a ghaf tree planting programme, stationary drive, baking /weaving/ mosaic painting/jewellery making with special needs children, painting with special needs artists, job shadowing for cancer survivors, boats cleaning for special needs, gifts for children in labour camps, career workshop for students, site visit for students, school fun activities, and Blood donation drive.

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