The first ever global report on employee volunteering projects has found that there is substantial potential amongst private companies in the UAE for participation in employee voluntary projects that could contribute significantly to the achievement of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

“Investing for the Future: The Practice and Potential of Employee Volunteering in the UAE”, was commissioned by DP World, together with Emirates NBD and Grant Thornton. Amongst the key findings: up to 90 per cent of companies surveyed reported alignment with the SDG programme, with 71 per cent actively working to gather data on productivity, employee well-being, employee engagement, and impact on community partners.

Of the 48 companies in the sample, 70 per cent stated that they regularly measure the impact of their volunteer activities, with 56 per cent tracking impact on their community partners, and 50 per cent measuring the impact of employee engagement.

The project was started in 2017 and officially launched at the recent IMPACT2030 event in Dubai, which is hosted in partnership with the RW Institute and SiMPACT. DP World led the research as a Regional Voice Lead for IMPACT2030, a UN initiative to encourage private sector contribution to broader social wellbeing through employee volunteer programmes

Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, DP World, said: “The purpose of the report was to gain a better understanding of the capacity for employee volunteering in the UAE’s private sector. We’re delighted that our efforts have identified great potential in this area which will help communities across the Arab world. IMPACT2030 is an important initiative that activates skills-based, voluntary programmes by private sector employees to advance the Sustainable Development Goals. Private sector collaboration plays a pivotal role in helping nations tackle issues such as poverty, inequality and climate change. By jointly co-ordinating our efforts, we can have a greater impact in alleviating some of these problems for the benefit of millions of people worldwide.”

Sixty per cent of those surveyed said that volunteering activity was increasing among their employees, pointing to significant growth opportunities for 2019. The report found that 37 per cent of employees already participate in volunteering activities in the UAE, comparing favourably to other countries such as the United States, where 31 per cent of employees participate.

Co-convened with the United Nations Office of Partnerships, IMPACT2030 brings together leaders from across the private sector along with representatives from the social and public sectors, to explore the capacity of voluntary contributions through employee volunteering schemes and to advance the Sustainable Development Goals.