Al-Elm contributed in raising the social awareness

Al-Elm Company, the leading company in secure electronic solutions, works on contribution in the social accountability initiatives in order to carry out its general strategic goals. It also continuously launches social programs and activities for its employees.

During the recent years, Al-Elm Company concern about the social accountability has largely increased; to the extent that the social accountability has become one of performance essential criteria within the company. particularly, the company believes that the social accountability in respect of helping society is no longer a voluntary deed, rather, it became a basic factor for the success of any company in the long-run through the chartable and social activities by which the company gains good reputation before the public and transparency in its processes and activities.            

Dr. Al-Ghoneim, the cheif executive officer of Al-Elm Company, said: " Actually, the social accountability initiative of private sector and the relevant official authorities adoption of holding its message and providing mechanisms for supporting it and establishing its concept, come in line with the government general policy which enhanced its contributions in achieving the pillars of comprehensive developmental progress for the benefit of all citizens and people".  
He also cited that there are many definitions for the social accountability of companies identified by the experts in this sector. But the comprehensive definition is: It is the duty of companies regarding society save producing commodities and profitable services. This necessarily means not only caring about the benefits of stakeholders, but also the benefits of the relevant third parties like employees, clients, supporters, and the public.  

Dr. Al- Ghoneim clarified: "the essence of work between the National Company and the beneficiaries from its services is based on the real exchange and integration, even it is apparently seems the process of buying and selling. "Indeed, the services provided by Al-Elm Company are technological, developmental and national by nature which specify the new standards of electronic civilization in which the Kingdom lives; something emphasizes on the concept of mutual goals more than the concept of buying and selling". He added.  

Dr. Khalid Al-Ghoneim emphasized: "the company continuously seeks innovation in social accountability programs, pointing at the social accountability efforts that are mainly directed towards two fields: first, education via supporting the electronic dealings of society whether for individuals or companies, through searching for various ways to decrease dependence on paper money, saving time as much as possible, increasing concern of shows and conferences in respect of information technology and the international conferences regarding the electronic government and others. Due to the fact that, raising the societal awareness about the electronic dealings is an essential field for social accountability of the company. The second is contribution in serving and supporting society entirely, through various social accountability programs, such as blood donation campaigns, attracting the Saudi young men and qualifying them to work in the company in particular or in the market place in general. 

Al- Ghoneim emphasized that Al-Elm Company is committed to its private vision regarding the establishment of the national greatest organization for secure electronics. This is through its innovation of distinguished electronic services and providing them to the clients in a high level that helps in achieving their goals and contributing in establishing the information technology socially, its efforts to spread awareness regarding the importance of new technology and employing it in a way fits the needs of its beneficiaries, its continuous work in developing the national competences and benefiting from national and international experiences in order to achieve its goals, and helping to give birth to an electronic environment that harmonizes with the requirements and fundamentals of the electronic government.

With regard to the social accountability programs achieved by the company during the last period, Al- Ghoneim said:" Tow months ago, Al-Elm Company succeeded in its program which is directed to the employees. It included specifying financial and moral rewards for employees who give up smoking. Actually, this initiative has been welcomed increasingly by the employees in the company.         
He added:" This step comes in line with the strategy stipulated by Al-Elm Company in order to reach a workplace free from smoking to limit its harms and contribute in preserving the health of non-smokers employees and safeguard them against passive smoking. For this reason, the company allocated some financial and corporeal rewards in order to motivate the employees to abandon such habit. The reward reached more than five thousands riyals for every employee abandons such bad habit.

Al- Ghoneim indicated that the company program against smoking within work locations would be a regular event adding: "
While many countries depend on forbidding smoking within workplaces, we found that we can take a leading step, based on our social duty, and to put our practical responsible notions into action".        
Al- Ghoneim continued to say: " There are many social benefits due to the use of electronic services produced by Al-Elm Company, mentioning the experiment of Social Affairs Ministry with "Yaqeen" service, one of the services of Al-Elm Company. Such service managed to shorten eleven months of work to twenty days, to provide more than 186 million riyals ($50 million) from Zakat riches during a year, and to reach one hundred thousand families who deserve insurance and who are not usually covered by the paper search.

With regard to the company contribution in national and international conferences and shows, Al- Ghoneim said: " Indeed, the company has a continuous strategy to support such conferences, based on its social belief in the importance of participation in and sponsoring the events that help the society".  

He also said: " The company participated in many events and conferences during the past years and the most outstanding participation was in First Saudi Innovation Show "2008 Innovation" which was organized by King Abdul-Aziz Foundation and his men for talent and innovation. Pointing out that such show was an opportunity to the company to meet the national innovative intellects, supporting and motivating them to continue in creativity and innovation. It also was a good opportunity to adopt the inventors attended such scientific meetings which usually rich in many national competences who are the stars of art and innovation within the country.

Ha added: "the show was a suitable opportunity to present the experiment of Al-Elm Company in the field of secure electronics before the Saudi inventors in order to recognize their programs and innovations and the possibility to cooperate with them. Based on the fact that, it is one of the goals the company seeks from such participation". 

He also said: " Recently, the company established a bank of thoughts in order to receive the ideas regarding new electronic services or great developments previously studied not by the company. Pointing out that, during such conference, the company received some new thoughts from the visitors, which were assessed and then passed to the administration of "developing works" in order to widely study them.  

Prof Al- Ghoneim added: on the other hand, a bank of problems has been established with the aim of saving the problems encountering the various classes of society, whether they are individuals or groups, in order to find the suitable solutions for them. In which the status quo is studied and the problems encountering the citizens or people are diagnosed in order to be observed by the governmental authorities and trying to provide the electronic solutions in coordination with the relevant bodies.  

Al- Ghoneim clarified that the company participated in and sponsored some important conferences within the kingdom, such as:  Sponsoring the 19th National Conference for Computer, the Annual Meeting of Information Technology Managers organized by Saudi Computer Society which participated in Giatex Saudi Arabia 2008, and the Saudi International Banking and Investment Conference 2007 (SIBIC 2007).  

Many specialists and managers supervising the programs of society service unanimously agreed that it is very important to enhance the level of strategies, policies, and practices regarding the social accountability of companies. They mentioned such matter for "Riyad" previously emphasizing that the social accountability of companies is part of the modern concept of development and the Saudi private sector has benefited greatly form economic progress the country lives during the current time. So, the private sector role became positive. But, it is necessary not to limit the social accountability to donations only, and there should be transparency in dealings. Besides, the companies should take into consideration their direct contact with sustainable development programs, that is to say, their continuous commitment to their role in economic development along with developing the lives of persons and their families and then the society entirely. 

Al- Ghoneim emphasized that the social accountability programs policy within Al-Elm Company pays great attention to the employees, for this reason, the company won the best workplace prize for two years consecutively.

He also said: " For Al-Elm Company, providing the ideal workplace for employees is a top priority of work within the company. Besides, admitting a clear systematic policy based on the necessity of supporting the march of national human resources and the initiatives aiming at utilizing and employing the several human energies, due to the fact that, they are the main pillar of the success of any foundation.

He continued to say: " As a matter of fact, the adopted policy of human resources in Al-Elm Company is a main policy within the policies of financial and administrative administration, as it is one of the biggest administrations that support and execute the basic policies and criteria of the company and the system of its work. This also is in conformity with the directions of the Custodian of the two Holy Mosques and his prudent government which targets giving the due care for human resources in Saudi Arabia, and his call for all businessmen and private sector to concern themselves with the ambitious Saudi young men who have the determination and willingness to participate and contribute in the development the Saudi society. Actually, this is identical with Al-Elm Company, whereas most of our employees are distinguished with their high skills in their specializations and works. Moreover, we strive hard to put such directions into action through the attempts to find a workplace that ensures the achievement of goals of our highly respected leaders and always seek the factors of success of any initiative that benefits our human resources.

He also mentioned that the workplace of Al-Elm Company is distinguished with the practical healthy atmosphere which helps the employees in productivity and to willingly double their efforts. On the other hand, achieving the internal satisfaction and the generous spirit is a top priority of the company in order to improve the performance of employees; this happens through creating the workplace which is highly professional, based on the freedom of exchanging ideas, participating in achieving projects, respecting all points of view, and adopting any idea that helps in the good reaction among employees though the exchange of knowledge and enhancing confidence among them.

He also pointed out that since its coming into being, the workplace of Al-Elm Company is accustomed to break any barriers between any manger and his employees, where there is no bureaucracy from any kind and the company will continue with such policy, God willing. Actually, we appreciate the importance of providing the suitable environment for employees, through responding to their requirements and needs and making them feel with their importance and value as to be the most important profits of the company. As there are rights for the company about which it is concerned, indeed there are rights for the employees about which the adopted policy in the company should be concerned and should give them the due care. This happens through adopting the most important principles regarding jobs which insure the highest ways of interaction between company and employees. This matter necessitated the stipulation of a bylaw in respect of employee which helps him in development and training to insure that he would continue working with us and there is no need to search for another safer and more comfortable place for him and his family. Such bylaw does not disregard the financial aspect which is the most important matter for any seeker of job. This is through providing many advantages, usually provided not by other companies, which insure the ideal workplace in order to increase productivity of employees; something contributes in raising the satisfaction level of clients in order to achieve the best financial and non financial revenues; as all are participants in making profits. Actually, the suitable workplace, achieving the internal stability, the continuous assessment of performance, motivating the producers, giving them the opportunity to lead work, and high-level training and continuous development all represent the adopted system within the company regarding the employees.

Indeed, Al-Elm Company is a Saudi stock company owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), and it works to build the largest national system for secure e-business services. It has already produced more than ten unique services in the e-Government field.

Al-Elm works hard to benefit from the huge databases of national information by devising creative electronic portals which deal with the collected information and provide such to beneficiaries as added-value services that are easy to use, very effective, save time and effort, and maintain integrity, personal privacy and information security.

Beneficiaries from Al-Elm services span the entire society with all its sectors, as its services create an integral environment that receives information from various sources and allow exchanging such through secure channels so that each party will get the information needed, be it a public sector, private sector, or individuals. In many cases, roles are exchanged among authorities so that some of them become a beneficiary from information and the others become its source.

One of the most outstanding services of Al-Elm is: "Yaqeen" service, which provide electronic verification of personal identity and it rectifies and updates huge databases automatically. Another is "Muqeem" which allows different organizations to view all the information related to their sponsored expatriates according to the Passport Department database.