In 2020 and 2021, Agility Kuwait participated in the mentorship and training of more than 100 students enrolled in the LOYAC ‘KON’ Social Entrepreneurship Program in collaboration with Babson College-Boston, USA.

Agility has supported LOYAC and their multiple programs since 2006, this is fifth consecutive year where Agility has participated in the ‘KON’ program as part of its continued sponsorship of the organization. Agility invests in community initiatives globally, especially when it comes to education and digital literacy programs. The LOYAC’s KON Entrepreneurship program shifted to a digital platform and online learning in 2020 due to COVID-19. Agility employees in Kuwait welcomed students on a virtual tour of its 18K facility in Sulaibiya, over the course of four phases of their program in July and August, each year.

Through this long-standing partnership, Agility has mentored more than 300 students since 2017. LOYAC is a non-profit organization working towards the overall development of the youth. Since its partnership with Agility, the organization was able to reach more than 14,000 students through its programs. LOYAC designs and develops many programs to facilitate the professional development and personal growth of the youth, ages six to 30. KON is a six-week program that targets young adults, between the ages of 12 through 16, and encourages participants to transform their ideas into action, aiming to develop responsible business solutions to our community’s most pressing challenges. By the end of the program, students will be able to present their business ideas before a jury panel, in addition to a professor from Babson College.

Mariam Al Foudery, Group Chief Marketing Offices, says: “As one of Kuwait’s largest companies, Agility is deeply committed to the importance of training the next generation, and ensuring that they have the ‘on the job’ skills they need to succeed professionally. Agility has partnered with LOYAC for more than 10 years. We are deeply inspired by the organization’s commitment and vision when it comes to young people. I’m also inspired by LOYAC’s young students themselves. Our employees had the chance to mentor and work with LOYAC students over the years, and we’ve always been impressed with their brightness, their passion, and their desire to make a difference in the world and for the future of our country. We look forward to continuing to work with LOYAC closely.”

Every year, LOYAC students continue to think to the future and come up with sustainable solutions for their business plans.

Logistics company donations will fund refugee outreach center and job matching

KUWAIT – July 7, 2021 – Agility, a leading global logistics provider, has renewed its partnership agreement with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, to help fund programmes supporting vulnerable refugees in Jordan and Malaysia.

The partnership renewal will support UNHCR’s outreach center activities in Johor, Malaysia, where refugees receive shelter, healthcare, education, skills training and other critical services. The center, which has been supported by Agility since 2020, will assist an estimated 12,000+ refugees, most of whom are Rohingya. Over 50 Malaysian community organizations operate out of the center, which Agility helps fund. The centers provide health, education and other services, in addition to registering and documenting refugees and teaching community leadership and other skills.

In Jordan, Agility’s donation will help UNHCR’s Job Matching programme, linking 180+ refugees with potential employers. Through this programme, UNHCR arranges interviews and places refugees in agriculture and construction jobs or other livelihood opportunities. UNHCR also provides mentorship and career advisory sessions as part of the programme.

Henadi Al-Saleh, Agility Chairperson, said: “The COVID-19 pandemic has made an already challenging refugee situation worse. UNHCR has been active throughout the pandemic, working to help millions of refugees around the world, and we’re proud to help populations that are in need in Malaysia and Jordan. Agility has been a long-time supporter of UNHCR’s activities and programmes.”

Dr. Samer Haddadin, Representative of UNHCR Kuwait Office, said, “What was difficult before the pandemic has now worsened; refugees struggle to find steady employment, have limited access to health services and lack access to education. With Agility’s generous support, we will be able to help refugees in Jordan find jobs to support their families, and continue outreach activities in Malaysia, and strengthen community-based protection works by expanding community outreach services in carrying out extensive works on community development, comprehensive case management and strengthening peaceful co-existence.”

Globally, Agility helps those affected by natural disasters and other crises by providing supply chain expertise and resources in collaboration with commercial partners, relief groups and international institutions. In the past, Agility has supported UNHCR’s work in the Middle East, by assisting more than 490 Syrian refugee families (close to 2,500 individuals) through fundraising and donations. To find out more about Agility’s sustainability activities, visit http://sustainability.agility.com.

About Agility

Agility is a global logistics company with $5.3 billion in annual revenue and 26,000+ employees in more than 100 countries. It is one of the world’s top freight forwarding and contract logistics providers, and a leader and investor in technology to enhance supply chain efficiency. Agility is a pioneer in emerging markets and one of the largest private owners and developers of warehousing and light industrial parks in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Agility’s subsidiary companies offer fuel logistics, airport services, commercial real estate and facilities management, customs digitization, and remote infrastructure services.

For more information about Agility, visit Agility.com Twitter: twitter.com/agility LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/agility YouTube: youtube.com/user/agilitycorp

About UNHCR

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is a global organisation dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights and building a better future for people forced to flee their homes because of conflict and persecution. We lead international action to protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities and stateless people. We deliver life-saving assistance, help safeguard fundamental human rights, and develop solutions that ensure people have a safe place called home where they can build a better future. We also work to ensure that stateless people are granted a nationality. We work in over 130 countries, using our expertise to protect and care for millions.

For more information: Raefah Makki Head of Campaign and Advocacy Team, UNHCR [email protected]

Agility, a leading global logistics provider, is partnering with the Kuwait Society for the Handicapped (KSH), the first charitable Society in Kuwait that provides services to children with disabilities from all nationalities at no cost. Through this collaboration, KSH will build the first sensory gym following international standards in Kuwait by the end of 2021.

Agility’s donation will allow KSH to outfit the sensory gym in the “Children’s Rehabilitation Unit” with clinical equipment and furniture designed to improve users’ sense of movement, body positioning, balance and spatial awareness. KSH therapists will be able to guide users through activities intended to increase fine motor skills, strength, flexibility, coordination and body awareness.

“Sensory gyms are important tools for the rehabilitation and behavior modification of disabled youth and adults, it helps to integrate them into society and change their lives for the better, and we’re pleased to be supporting KSH’s plans to build the sensory gym. Agility is committed to helping KSH as it works to improve the lives of more than 500 children and adults with disabilities in Kuwait,” said Agility CEO, Tarek Sultan.

Workouts and therapy at sensory gyms improve users’ communication skills, increase their attention spans, and improve their physical health. The facilities can accommodate and meet the needs of users with a wide range of ability levels and different stages of disability.

“The Children’s Rehabilitation Unit renovation is the first step for the KSH to develop integrated rehabilitation services that support children and youth in realizing their potential and participating in their communities. By upgrading and developing our programs and building new facilities, we can provide individualized assessments, treatments, and health education needed for rehabilitation. Agility is giving us the means to do so. This will support hundreds of people, giving them access to the care they need,” KSH, Director General Dr. Elham Al Hamdan said.

KSH is a private charity established in 1971. It was the first charitable Society in Kuwait to provide free services to children with disabilities from all nationalities. KSH was established by devoted volunteers eager to offer services for children with disabilities and to ease the burden on family and caregivers guiding them towards improving the education and rehabilitation of their loved ones with disabilities. And since its establishment, the Society has continued to provide integrated care and services which include comprehensive rehabilitation, psychological, social, and educational services at its headquarter and daycare centers in three locations, Hawally, Jahra, and Ahmadi.

This partnership is part of a long-standing commitment by Agility to empower and benefit Kuwaiti youth. Agility has decade-long partnerships with INJAZ and LOYAC to support entrepreneurship training programs. Agility volunteers have mentored more than 1,500 students over the years in business skills and other educational initiatives through the organizations’ ongoing initiatives. In 2020, Agility continued to support organizations throughout their shift to virtual online training programs.

Agility Kuwait partnered with United Projects for Aviation Services Company (UPAC), a leading commercial real estate and facilities management company and of Agility’s infrastructure companies, and The Basket, a local non-profit, to distribute food packages to more than 830 families in low income communities in Kuwait.

The packages contained staple food items such as rice, cooking oil, flour, salt, sugar, and dates among other items, and is meant to support the families throughout the month of Ramadan.

Agility, a leading global logistics provider, and Aflatoun International, an NGO specializing in life skills and financial education around the world, announced a partnership that will increase educational opportunities for more than 560,000 students, with at least half of the opportunities created for female students.

Agility’s support will fund the development and translation of Aflatoun’s “AflaYouth” financial literacy and entrepreneurship curriculum into Arabic, French, Spanish and Russian. “AflaYouth”gives students, aged 16-24, access to both online and in-person training, support, mentoring and learning during their transition into the formal labor market, or as they launch an entrepreneurial career. Aflatoun will also develop teachers’ training manuals for the curriculum.

“AflaYouth”  will be provided to Aflatoun’s network of more than 50 NGOs in 30 countries in the Middle East, North and West Africa, Central and South America and East Europe. Trainings on the curriculum will be provided to NGO partners and local educators, who in turn educate underprivileged youth in the communities where they operate. Trainings will take place both in-person and online, giving Aflatoun the flexibility to reach partners around the world.

Frank Clary, Agility’s Vice President for Sustainability, said: “Agility’s support means that Aflatoun’s partner NGOs will be able to implement educational programming for refugees and underprivileged local populations in a context and language that’s relevant to them. Since 2014, Agility has supported the education of 68,000 students around the world and this partnership with Aflatoun gives even more students the opportunity to have an education. Aflatoun empowers local communities to create development opportunities through education.”

Roeland Monasch, CEO of Afltaoun International, said: “The skills taught in this program are especially relevant in this time of economic uncertainties. One of the strengths of our programs is that they can be contextualized to local needs and circumstances. Therefore, it has become even more relevant that our AflaYouth Books will be translated into other languages. Thus, we can deliver our-quality curricula to more young people across different regions of the world. We hope that this project is a great start of a long-term partnership with such a successful company as Agility.”

Agility has a globally recognized sustainability program, covering humanitarian logistics, community volunteerism, fair labor and environmental sustainability. Agility is part of the FTSE4Good Index Series, a resource used by investors to identify companies around the world with strong environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices. Agility is also ranked in the top 10% of all companies and the top 4% of the logistics industry for overall sustainability performance by EcoVadis. Since 2006, Agility has completed more than 1,950 community education, health or environment projects affecting more than one million people in 90 countries.

Following the Port of Beirut explosion on August 4, 2020, Agility provided support to a number of humanitarian partners.

Clean energy initiatives will include one of the largest solar-roof developments in the region

In November of 2020, Agility announced solar projects in Dubai and Jordan that will eventually cut the company’s carbon footprint in the region by 5%.

At Agility’s regional headquarters in Dubai, the solar photovoltaic (PV) plant involves the installation of 17,500 panels at three sites with the capacity to generate nearly 8 megawatts of power at peak. The installation will include a 5.45 MW system at two sites in the Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZA), and a 2.6 MW system at the Dubai Investment Park. Once complete, Agility’s solar PV system will generate enough electricity to cover 60% of the energy requirements at the sites and save an estimated 8,838 tons of CO2 each year, roughly equivalent to the emissions generated by trucking 18,000 fully-loaded containers from Dubai to Abu Dhabi.

In Jordan, the solar photovoltaic plant will encompass 1,945 panels at Agility’s warehouse in Aqaba, with a capacity of 788 kilowatt peak. The solar plant will generate enough electricity to cover 100% of the energy requirements and save an estimated 900 tons of CO2 each year.

In both locations, the high-efficiency solar PV panels are designed to optimize energy generation in hot desert climates. The panel systems incorporate robotic cleaning and are waterproof.

“Globally, Agility’s goal is to reduce its carbon footprint by 25% by 2050. Our investment in solar is a huge step in the right direction and will cut the company’s global emissions by 3%. We are hopeful that it encourages other companies in the region to do the same. We know that greening operations is good for business and good for the planet,” says Elias Monem, CEO Middle East & Africa, Agility GIL.

The project is consistent with the goals of the UAE’s Shams Solar Policy, a local initiative for distributed solar plants in the United Arab Emirates. In both Dubai and Jordan, Clenergize Solar Consultants was appointed to handle the engineering specifications, tendering, contract management, design reviews, and project management.

Agility worked with the Kuwait Red Crescent Society (KRCS) to deliver 1,000 cartons of essential food supplies and basic necessities to families residing in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh, one of the areas in Kuwait with the largest number of virus cases. Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh and has been on lockdown since early April. The area’s most-vulnerable families received the supplies, which are intended to last about a month.