HSBC Bank Middle East Ltd & Affiliates are the exclusive sponsors of Kids Read under the umbrella of their Sustainability work that invests in local communities.

• HSBC Bank Middle East Ltd - Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, UAE
• SABB - Saudi Arabia

HSBC have invested approximately $500,000 in the second year of implementing Kids Read. While HSBC & Affiliates are financial sponsors, they will also support Kids Read through their staff volunteer programme.  

During the first year of implementing the programme, Kids Read was awarded a Silver ‘Stevie’ in the Middle East and Africa Corporate Social Responsibility Category of the 2012 International Business Awards . This was an extremely encouraging sign for the future of the programme as it was the first year it has been implemented.

For HSBC, sustainability is core to their everyday business. It allows them to support individuals and organisations in achieving their goals by contributing to socio-economic development and environmental protection. Investing in the community, particularly through education, is an important element of HSBC’s sustainability strategy that place great emphasis on employee volunteering. In 2011, HSBC committed US$96 million to community investment and their employees volunteered over 250,000 work hours.

“We are committed to investing in the community with a specific focus on the environment and education,” said Steve Bottomley, regional head of Strategy & Planning and head of International - HSBC MENA.

“This programme will enable HSBC employees to make a difference where they live and work by donating their time and skills, and participating students will be exposed to great books as well as be motivated to learn to love reading.”