Manama, Shaikh Khalid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, Deputy Prime Minister, attended the the ceremony of the third edition of Al Bilad Award for Corporate Social Responsibility. The award is organised by Al Bilad Media Corporation, and was attended by dignitaries, ministers, and members of the business and civil society. Shaikh Khalid bin Abdullah emphasised the commitment of the Kingdom of Bahrain towards strengthening the strategic partnerships between the public and private sectors, within the framework of efforts to develop sustainable development in line with the goals of the comprehensive development process, led by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa with the support of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa. The Deputy Prime Minister said the governments efforts in this regard seek to achieve a balance between economic growth and environmental protection by encouraging corporate social responsibility initiatives. Shaikh Khalid bin Abduallah said this balance aims at increasing the Kingdom's capacity to meet said challenges by contributing to reducing carbon emissions and adopting better business practices. This is in addition to providing quality opportunities for citizens and creating a competitive and attractive business environment for investment. On the award, the Deputy Prime Minister commended the initiative of Al Bilad newspaper, which is an important annual platform that promotes a culture of creativity and innovation in social responsibility among private sector organisations. He said the award drives the private sectoe to implement effective administrative policies that contribute to strengthening their societal role, not only through business, but by making a long term positive impact on society and environment. The Deputy Prime Minister also praised the media in the Kingdom of Bahrain for having professional and ethical values towards individuals and society. He valued their efforts in highlighting the success stories of leading companies in the field of social respons ibility. Shaikh Khalid bin Abdullah presented the awards to the winners in the categories for Al Bilad Award for corporate social responsibility, as follows: - Aluminium Bahrain (Alba), grand prize - Khaleeji Bank, economic exellence - Al Salam Bank, social excellence - Yellow Door Energy, environmental excellence - Bapco Energies, women empowerment and advancement Source: Bahrain News Agency