The Savola Group, a leading company specialising in the food industry, has joined hands with the Jordan River Foundation (JRF) as strategic partner to study the development of the handicrafts centre in Saudi Arabia.

Based on the agreement, JRF will prepare a fully-fledged study for the project including field studies and programmes to identify the needs of the project as well as developing the idea model for the project.

The study, which will run for four months, will include a series of workshops and meeting with various stakeholders in addition to specialized workshops with internal stakeholders within the Group.

“Jordan River Foundation has been selected for two main reasons: one for its experience and track record in developing sustainable programs in Jordan which were clearly exemplified through numerous initiatives to develop the handicrafts industry and the artisans,” said Dr Ghassan Ahmed Al-Sulaiman, Corporate Social Responsibility chairman at the Savola.

“The other main reason includes the cultural similarities between both Jordan and Saudi Arabia making JRF an ideal choice for us, add to that, the competitive offer submitted by the foundation compared to the other countries."

Dr Al Sulaiman added, “We are looking forward to working with JRF through this strategic partnership and we are equally looking forward to the results of the Study which will pave a clear path to launch the programme.”

Valentina Qussisiya, director general of Jordan River Foundation, underscored Savola’s global recognition in various specialized industries assuring that this partnership will add more value to the Foundation.

She added, “This is not our first experience with a Saudi companies and organisations. Jordan River Foundation has been quite active with various Saudi enterprises working on various developmental, social, and handcraft development programmes as well as other sectors and initiatives.  JRF, through this partnership with Savola, aims to build a sustainable cooperation between both organisations.” – TradeArabia News Service