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Drake & Scull International is to launch a humanitarian foundation that will coordinate corporate social responsibility initiatives to benefit the poorest regions of Middle East, Asia and Africa.

The Dubai-based engineering firm will organise public service campaigns through the Drake and Scull foundation (DSF) that will improve services for targeted communities in the region in such areas as healthcare, education, housing and nutrition.

“We believe that the establishment of the foundation will encourage companies in the region to adopt pragmatic CSR programs that drive lasting change and sustained support for communities in need, Zeina Tabari, managing director of the foundation and head of corporate affairs at DSI, said.

“The vision of Drake and Scull Foundation (DSF) is catalysing efforts to make a real difference in our communities, by providing basic needs like food, clothing, education and medical assistance for disadvantaged people, in the Middle East, Asia and Africa.”

Drake & Scull International PJSC (DSI), a regional market leader in integrated design, engineering and construction disciplines of Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing (MEP), Civil Contracting, and Water and Power announced the establishment of Drake and Scull foundation (DSF). The new entity is launched to initiate, fund and organize Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs dedicated to improving the lives of underprivileged sections of the society.

The funding and donations schemes and geographical operational scope of the foundation is underway and will be completed by the end of the year. The management said it is currently sourcing and aligning itself with special philanthropic organisations to set its working agenda and to launch the CSR campaigns next year.

Drake & Scull International, which competes for MEP contracts across the Gulf and North Africa as well as civil construction work and utilities-related work through subsidiaries, is the second MEP firm to announce CSR plans this year.

AE ARMA-ELEKTROPANÇ, the Turkish joint venture MEP contractor, said it would launch a CSR programme by the second quarter of next year. The contractor has decided to implement a comprehensive CSR programme for the benefit of their staff following its a result expansion success across the regionof this success and expansion, Burak Kizilhan, business development manager, told MEP Middle East last month.

The programme will follow ISO 26000 standards, which include general principles, organisational governance, implementation, human rights, labour practices, environmental standards, fair operating practices, consumer issues and community involvement and development.