‘Together for a Happier Eid’ wins Best CSR initiative award

MUSCAT – A landmark social project launched by Omantel in association with BankMuscat has been adjudged the best Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative in the first Civil Society Awards announced by Tawasul Global Connections. The awards in recognition of valuable contributions to development of society by institutions, companies and individuals were based on an online voting process in which over 16,000 voters participated.

Conceived as the biggest private-public charity partnership under the auspices of the Ministry of Social Development, the BankMuscat-Omantel-led ‘Together for a Happier Eid’ initiative was aimed at benefiting underprivileged children by unleashing the culture of donation. The Ramadhan campaign generated a whopping donation of RO 250,000 from individuals, corporates and institutions and the funds were distributed among 26,561 needy children in different parts of Oman,

AbdulRazak Ali Issa, Chief Executive of BankMuscat, said: “The Civil Society Award is yet another endorsement of the remarkable success of the ‘Together for a Happier Eid’ initiative. By far this has been one of the most appealing social initiatives which evoked overwhelming support from individuals, corporates and media. As the nation’s leading financial services provider, BankMuscat always leads by example, bringing together the nation as one family. The recent ‘Qaboos Oman’ painting contest and the ongoing ‘Oman Celebrates’ campaign commemorating the 40^th Renaissance anniversary of Oman reflect the wide reach of BankMuscat initiatives across the nation.”

The ‘Together for a Happier Eid’ initiative was a great inspiration for the private sector, which generously supported the cause. Dr. Amer Bin Awadh Al Rawas, Chief Executive Officer, Omantel, said: “The credit for this award goes to the team which worked very hard on the campaign during the Holy Month of Ramdhan and contributed to its success in putting smiles on the faces of underprivileged children. The partnership with BankMuscat was a delightful experience and we sincerely hope this alliance will reach new levels of co-operation benefiting society.”

Shamsa Al Harthy, Director - Department of Associations & Community Clubs, Ministry of Social Development, said: “The ‘Together for a Happier Eid’ initiative was a successful public-private initiative in reaching out to weaker sections of society. BankMuscat and Omantel set a fine example with the first-of-its-kind initiative and encouraged others to strengthen the hands of needy people in Oman. The campaign was well structured to reach the masses and thereby generate support at all levels.”