At National Aquaculture Group, we take pride in making a difference to our community through our Corporate Social Responsibility Program that involves all employees in the company executing over 22 activities every year such as:
Aquaculture is little known in the Saudi Arabia and our education programme aims to encourage greater understanding of the industry and help people find worthwhile careers.Our Schools' Visits programme gives secondary school students in the Saudi Arabia an opportunity to tour the site and see our operations at first hand. We also promote vocational training programmes in Al Laith and the local area across a range of skills.We provide maintenance scholarships to students in the local community so they may attend the University of their choice in the Saudi Arabia.
These scholarships are not limited to marine sciences, but cover all degree courses.
We have signed a long-term agreement with King Abdullah Aziz University's (KAAU) faculty of Marine Sciences in which we commit to supporting the development of marine sciences. We support the University's own research facility with technical advice and provide a range of practical research projects which students may choose as part of their course work. Our own scientific staff visit the facility regularly to offer advice on all aspects of the project work.
Each summer we take students from the University in our intern programme when they receive a broad grounding in our activities across the operation from the R&D facility to on the ground technical support at pond side and hatchery.
We also fund a Chair in Marine Sciences at the University.
We are actively engaged with the communities in Saudi Arabia with supporting and other social activities including sponsoring mass weddings for those couples and families unable to afford the expense on their own.
We have entered into a informal relationship with other companies such as Unilever to promote healthcare in Al Laith with our first project encouraging better dental hygiene. Other initiatives include dietary advice to help combat the common incidences of diabetes and obesity in the Saudi Arabia.
We are supporting the local fishing industry through the development of a new Fishermen's Village, which includes providing housing and other facilities to ensure the local fishing industry can prosper.
Our largest programme is with the King Abdullah Foundation with which we sponsor the Al Galla Training Facility for women. Here local women may take courses in computer technology, dressmaking and other basic skills with which to enter the local economy. We employ some of the women in our Ladies' Processing Plant on our site and we hope this will continue to grow.
Through the employment of local people at National Aquaculture Group, we contribute indirectly over SAR1m into the local economy through salaries. We very much hope that as the largest local employer this amount will increase significantly over the coming years.
With its extensive coastline, there are many opportunities for aquaculture to develop into a significant industry in the Saudi Arabia contributing to the nation's goals of food security and diversifying the economy.
As the largest aquaculture company in Saudi Arabia, we are active in promoting the growth of the industry with sensible sustainable and environmental practices.
We are working with National Universities to develop a series of workshops and seminar with which we can engage government, operators and investors to promote the industry.
We are also working with other aquaculture operators in the Saudi Arabia leading the Saudi Aquaculture Society, which will represent the interests of the industry in Saudi Arabia and with international industry bodies.