History of the Awards


The Arabia CSR Awards is the Arab Region’s premiere CSR and Sustainability accolade. Over the course of 16 years the Awards has mobilised hundreds of businesses from diverse sectors and industries and created positive impacts of immense magnitude on the region’s sustainable development.

The platform’s credibility has earned it the trust and recognition of global and regional bodies such as the United Nations Global Compact, the United Nations Environment Programme and the League of Arab States. The Awards has been supported by the United Nation’s Global Compact since its inception in 2008 and from 2014-2016 it was held under the auspices of the League of Arab States for three years consecutively and in collaboration with UNEP in the wake of a Memorandum of Understanding that was signed in October 2014 outlining the Award’s role in the promotion of the Sustainable Development Goals in the Arab world.

Two valuable outcomes of the Arabia CSR Awards are the Arabia CSR Awards Forum and the Best Practices Case Studies Publication, both which have served to educate and inspire sustainable practices amongst public and private organisations across the Arab world. The Arabia CSR Forum is the most prestigious and anticipated sustainability deliberation dais in the Region gathering a plethora of experts in the field from across the globe. The Best Practices Case Studies book is an annual publication that culminates lessons learned from the experiences of the ACSR Award champions and disseminates that knowledge for the advancement of sustainable practices.

It is a Green Awards which has been completely paperless since the past 15 cycles. From registration to results, everything is conducted electronically. This vouches for the sincere efforts of Arabia CSR Network to reduce the environmental footprint of the Awards and make it a true symbol of sustainability. The Arabia CSR Forum and Awards ceremony are both Carbon Neutral events.