DUBAI — SAS has been officially recognized for the second consecutive time as one of Middle East’s Best Workplaces for 2020, by leading global workplace culture authority Great Place to Work Middle East. Taking place for the first time in the region, Great Place to Work recognized 50 organizations in the Middle East. SAS’ corporate principles embraces the right mix of innovation, creativity, inclusivity and work/life balance to create a great work environment that motivates employees towards cementing the company’s status as a leader in analytics. The recognition is based on SAS’ adoption of a workplace ethos that focuses on employee engagement and empowerment. This commitment is demonstrated by SAS’ continued investment in modern collaborative workspaces and attractive employee benefits. Commenting on the announcement, Shukri Dabaghi, regional vice president CEMEA, SAS, said: “We are honored to be named one of the Great Places to Work in the region, ratifying that our talented employees feel supported and challenged to reach their full potential. “The ranking confirms our continuous effort and focus on cultivating an organizational culture that emboldens and motivates creativity and fosters a collaborative work environment where our employees can learn, grow, and prosper.” All certified organizations were considered for the list, but the 50 Best Workplaces were selected by focusing on the Trust Index survey averages along with the number of countries where organization is certified in the Middle East and local population. Ibrahim Mougharbel, managing director, Great Place To Work, UAE, said: “We are very proud to be launching for the first time in the region the top 50 Middle East Best Workplaces, and in line with our 2020 strategy of recognizing organizations across the region that sustain a high trust, high performing culture for employees; our objective remains to evolve the work culture in the Middle East countries and the GCC by offering insights to leaders in order to make data-driven people decisions.” “Rebuilding mutual trust and creating an innovative, positive and happy workplace in these challenging times should be at the top of the agenda for organizations; being a great workplace helps GCC entities quantify their culture and produce better business results.” said Tanzeel Rahman, managing director, Great Place To Work, Saudi Arabia. To be considered in the list, organizations had to meet the Great Place to Work-Certified standard and with a minimum score of 85 percent based on what employees say about their experiences of trust and ability to reach their full human potential as part of their organization, no matter who they are or what they do, along with the number of countries where organization is certified in the Middle East and local population, said Mazen Harb, managing director, Great Place To Work, Middle East. — SG