Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz honors Master Foods during corporate social responsibility forum

The event was attended by a large number of officials from various Government agencies, businessmen and representatives of major Saudi companies, and selected speakers presented their experiences and case studies in the field of social responsibility and community services.

Speaking at the Forum, Mr. Abdulhakim Hakim, Master Foods Middle East External Affairs Manager, said, "It is well known that HRH Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz is keenly interested in humanitarian works and social programs that help individuals and communities, and that His Royal Highness spares no effort in supporting initiatives that benefit society. We highly appreciate Prince Sultan's patronage of this event and his support gives all of us added incentive to renew and strengthen our commitment to corporate social responsibility."

In the forum, Mr. Peter Van Greens Van from Master Foods presented a paper
titled "Protecting Cacao Natural Resources - A Commitment Towards the Future". His presentation described Master Foods' efforts to protect and sustain natural resources of cacao and outlined the role the company plays in educating and training workers in this field. He went on to explain the importance of cacao as part of the world economy and environment, and emphasized the benefits to farmers in the producing countries where cacao is considered a major source of national income.

During the Forum Mr. Hakim stated: "Master Foods Middle East is seeking to introduce and develop educational programs in Saudi Arabia that promote the development of individuals and society as a whole, especially by enhancing the skills of young people in order to help them with their future careers. Master Foods' initiatives included the Academic Excellence Awards, a program for university students which offers them the opportunity to make practical use of what they have learned."

As part of its social programs, Master Foods has launched the Alharaka Barakh initiative in cooperation with the Ministry of Education in the Makkah area. Starting at the beginning of the new academic year, the initiative will be generalized to include the maximum number of schools. Alharaka Baraka is an educational program designed to encourage children in the 9-11 years age group to practice sports as part of their everyday life. These activities can be practiced in the school yard and the classroom under the direction of their physical education teachers, or even at home under the supervision of their parents. The program includes a set of guidelines for the students, another set for the family, and a third set of guidelines for teachers which includes scientific data. The program is also available on the website www.alharakabaraka.com for the benefit of all those who are interested.

As an integral part of the society in which it operates, Master Foods Middle East firmly believes in the importance of social responsibility and is fully committed to the economic, social and environmental aspects of its duties towards its employees, clients and society in general. The work environment of Master Foods Middle East is based on five essential principles: quality, responsibly, exchange, efficiency and freedom. By adhering to these five principles, the company successfully maintains a freedom-based creative environment which enables Master Foods to overcome every challenge, sustain prosperity and achieve progress.