MUSCAT, 21 March 2012 -  BankMuscat, the flagship financial institution in the Sultanate, has extended support to  Abdulrazik Al Zaaby from the wilayat of Khaboorah facing a difficult life situation without hands and legs to undergo medical treatment in India.

As part of an innovative corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative launched by the Bank this year, AbdulRazik left for Jaipur to receive treatment at reputed Jaipur Foot House which specialises in artificial limbs. AbdulRazik’s difficult situation was shared with the BankMuscat staff who responded enthusiastically to extend all support.

Manasik Al Moosawi of BankMuscat CSR Department said: “We are delighted to reach out to Abdulrazik  and help him overcome the difficult life situation. We were particularly struck by his abilities and found him to be exceptionally talented and decided we should take up his case.”

Like many youngsters, AbdulRazik aspires to be an engineer. He is, of course, aware of the limited means of his 12-member family (10 siblings and parents) and his own physical challenges, but he is determined to accomplish his ambition.

The new BankMuscat CSR strategy, which stems from the Royal directive of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos to accord priority for social responsibility, is the first of its kind in Oman to engage all staff in making a big difference in giving back to society. The initiative reflects the Bank’s commitment to set benchmark standards in social responsibility.

As part of the CSR strategy, all employees will commit to a minimum of five hours of voluntary social work in a year as well as monetary contributions. Each staff member will be assigned specific key performance indicator (KPI) involving social work in their annual performance appraisal.

The staff will have the option to choose from projects, based on their specific interests. They can opt to either engage in voluntary social work or make financial contributions in lieu of the required working hours. Upon successful completion of a social work quota, they can earn five per cent of positive assessment value in the annual appraisal.

BankMuscat focuses on all types of projects that fall within the framework of social responsibility and their importance and overall benefit both to society and individuals. Efforts are also targeted at individuals with special needs to enhance their capabilities with the aim of integrating them into mainstream society.