In keeping with the ‘Year of Tolerance’ initiative, launched by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Emirates NBD, a leading banking group in the region, announced that it has aligned its 2019 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) objectives with the seven pillars of the programme.

The key focus areas for Emirates NBD’s 2019 CSR programme include enhancing donation platforms, promoting financial literacy, encouraging volunteering efforts, and collaboration with corporate peers towards sustainable social responsibility.

Commenting on the announcement, Hesham Abdulla Al Qassim, Vice Chairman and Managing Director at Emirates NBD, said: “The spirit of tolerance is an inherent aspect of the culture of the UAE, and Emirates NBD wholeheartedly endorses the UAE leadership’s commitment to building a tolerant and inclusive society that is open and welcoming to all. Throughout 2019, we aim to embrace and adopt the key concept of tolerance by ensuring that activities in our CSR calendar this year are designed to make a difference to individuals, society and the nation as a whole.”

Under the pillar of volunteering, Emirates NBD’s in-house corporate volunteering programme Exchanger completed close to 36,000 hours last year. Launched in 2015, the platform offers employees and partners the opportunity to serve the community for a variety of different causes including empowering People of Determination, promoting financial literacy, women’s empowerment, health and wellness, environment, and community development. Over the past four years, more than 143,800 members of the public have been positively and directly impacted by the Exchanger Programme.

Emirates NBD is also committed to the Tolerance in the Workplace pillar, particularly through its advocacy work for People of Determination (people with disabilities) under the bank’s flagship #TogetherLimitless platform. The bank’s Careers Network connects work-ready individuals with disabilities to employers interested in bringing diversity into their workforces. Since its inception in 2017, the Careers Network has placed more than 50 People of Determination in long-term employment across the UAE. The network provides an inclusive recruitment process, advice on workplace accommodations, job coaching and support for both the employer and employee after onboarding.

As an employer of more than 10,000 full-time staff from more than 70 nationalities, Emirates NBD also supports Tolerance at the Workplace internally and remains committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment where employees of all backgrounds can thrive. In 2018, the Group also hired a total of 36 employees with disabilities between the bank and its subsidiary, Tanfeeth, in addition to transforming 40 branches into disability-friendly spaces.

Emirates NBD’s announcement today is aligned with its continuous efforts to be a sustainable bank of the community and invest in socially responsible programmes and solutions that address the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the UAE Vision 2021, and the United Nations Environmental Programme Dubai Declaration for Sustainable Finance under the auspices of the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment.