While continuing our usual expansive corporate responsibility initiatives and philanthropic activities, the Bank undertook a wide range of additional efforts to offset the impacts of the pandemic.

Through our Ahalina program, we launched various new initiatives of our own and participated in Government projects to support local communities. We contributed SAR 33 million to the Saudi Health Endowment Fund and SAR 20.5 million to the Community Fund.

In recognition of the Bank’s efforts, the Saudi Arabia Health Endowment Fund awarded NCB ‘Best Saudi Bank in Supporting the Health Endowment Fund’ and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development awarded NCB ‘Best Saudi Bank in Supporting the Ministry’s Social Fund’.

During lockdowns, NCB’s Ahalina Happiness Campaign distributed 18,000 Iftar meals and health kits to beneficiaries including orphanages and retirement homes, and cleaned workers’ accommodations. Volunteers delivered the meals and health kits across Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam, adhering to the highest safety and quality standards at all stages of processing, packaging, and distribution, thus minimizing the risk of Covid-19 spread.

A further 9,000 food baskets were distributed across nine regions. The Eid Keswa (Eid Clothes) initiative was then launched in six cities, with 1,000 clothing packages and health kits distributed.

The campaign included the distribution of household appliances and tablets and computers. It also involved the sterilization of mosques, divers cleaning seabeds, tree planting, and donating winter clothes. Also launched was the Shukr Initiative (Gratitude) which is devoted to the children of martyrs, health practitioners, and security guards. Many other activities have taken place in cooperation with charities and Government entities.

NCB played a prominent role in Government efforts to offset the impacts of the pandemic, deferring three months of installments in our micro-finance program, as well as three-month postponement of repayments by healthcare workers with NCB credit facilities.