Plus de limites...

Lorsque les entreprises de défense américaines se mettent à financer l'éducation ....aux Émirats

The announced donation of approximately Dh11 million by Lockheed Martin, the US defence contractor, to the American Community School of Abu Dhabi is welcome news for the many expatriate parents that struggle to find quality schooling for their children.

Many reasons for companies to contribute (The National, 2009/06/02)

No doubt, the American Community School, one of the most oversubscribed in the nation, will welcome the injection of funds that will help to finance an expansion that will double the school’s capacity. However, the generosity of Lockheed must serve as an example to the many multinational and local businesses that enjoy the tax free and business-friendly environment of this country.

On the web-site of the Emirates Foundation, an organisation devoted to fostering public-private partnerships in community development, 38 companies are listed as donors. Even if this list of donors is not exhaustive, it would seem that the fraction of companies who perform such activity is small. The foundation has commissioned a study to find ways to encourage a greater community role for companies, and the results are due in a few months. In the meantime, those companies that enjoy the fruits of operating in the Emirates but have yet to open their coffers for the good of the nation at least have a few role models to follow.

In the past year, Lockheed signed contracts with the UAE worth over Dh12 billion. The company’s contribution to the American Community School may seem minuscule when compared to the benefit it has derived from working with this country, but it is not necessarily the amount that is significant, it is the act itself. Companies are not being asked to contribute to the community in lieu of paying taxes. They are being asked to help make the UAE a better place to live, work and raise families. Lockheed’s choice to help one of the established and quality educational institutions in the UAE is one others would do well to follow if even for their own benefit.

Certainly, foreign companies should feel obliged to give back to the community both out of a sense of gratitude and to improve the quality of life in the country, which in turns fosters a better working environment. Local companies too must step up, and while many do, there are many more that do not. There are, of course, shining examples of so-called corporate social responsibility among domestic operators.

When Aldar began establishing its Aldar Academies, it was as much motivated by a sense of responsibility to the community and their employees as it was by necessity. A dearth of school spaces in Abu Dhabi meant that the company had to ensure that the expatriates they recruited to work for them could properly educate their children. Aldar’s decision is a prime example of how investment in the community can be mutually beneficial to both the company and the nation.

Too few companies appear to have realised their own self-interest in reinvesting in community development. Hopefully, the generous actions of Aldar and Lockheed Martin can inspire others. American Community School undoubtedly will require more than Dh11 million to build a new school and many other institutions may have far greater needs