RIYADH — GE Saudi Arabia has received the King Khalid ‘Responsible Competitiveness’ Award as one of the ‘Core Area’ winners for its commitment to corporate governance standards that underpin the company’s commitment to following a strong code of ethical conduct covering all aspects of its operations.

GE Saudi Arabia is the only international organization to win King Khalid Responsible Competitiveness Award in 2017. The certificate of recognition was presented by Dr. Ziyad Ghrara, Committee member of King Khalid Responsible Competitiveness Award to Hisham Al Bahkali, President & CEO of GE Saudi Arabia & Bahrain at an event held in Riyadh.

The King Khalid Responsible Competitiveness Award focuses on responsible competitiveness and corporate responsibility in the Kingdom. It aims to support businesses to strengthen their competitiveness while enhancing their environmental, social and governance performance. The award is regarded as an effective tool for social change and is designed to recognize, encourage and support exceptional achievements by organizations.

Hisham Al Bahkali, President & CEO, GE Saudi Arabia & Bahrain, said: “The recognition is a testament to our focus to be a responsible corporate citizen that upholds best practices in business compliance, covering every aspect of our operation in the Kingdom. We view our code of conduct as our competitive advantage, which earns us the trust of our partners.”

The recognition underlines GE’s commitment to its customers and in conducting business in the Kingdom to high international standards. Led by GE’s ‘The Spirit & The Letter’, a set of policies that define its integrity on critical subjects and risk areas, the company complies with all the regulations and norms in conducting business within and beyond the Kingdom. GE also ensures a well-trained compliance taskforce to evaluate every aspect related to such processes.

GE has over 80 years of partnership in the Kingdom with over 4,000 employees, including Baker Hughes, a GE company. With nearly 50 percent of the talent in highly skilled engineering and technology roles. GE has built an advanced industrial ecosystem that includes a growing local supply chain, with significant partnerships and investments in support of the Kingdom in its economic diversification goals, including building localized manufacturing competencies. — SG