Darabi said the oil sector’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) framework operates under directives issued by the oil minister and is overseen by a dedicated working group responsible for reviewing and prioritizing project proposals.

Requests submitted by companies, government agencies, public institutions, local officials and members of parliament are evaluated based on available funding and established priorities. Approved projects are endorsed by the boards of relevant NIOC subsidiaries before being assigned to the company’s development project supervision department for implementation.

Darabi emphasized that his department serves strictly as the implementing body for CSR projects approved by NIOC’s boards and does not determine which projects are selected.

“Our role is to execute the projects, not to decide which ones receive funding,” he said.

He said the department focuses on public-benefit initiatives designed to maximize value for communities surrounding oil operations. In road infrastructure projects, for example, funding is often directed toward eliminating accident-prone sections identified through field studies and traffic data provided by road police and transportation authorities.

For new road construction, NIOC typically finances engineering structures such as bridges and tunnels, provided the project has a clear completion plan and can become operational within the agreed timeline. Funding is allocated as a fixed contribution, with the remaining costs covered by the relevant government agencies.

Darabi said completing projects is one of the primary criteria for CSR investment. Project teams actively work to remove administrative and logistical obstacles, often coordinating with local authorities, prosecutors and natural resources officials to keep projects on schedule.

Beyond transportation, the ministry’s CSR program also supports education, including the completion of unfinished school construction projects that have stalled because of inflation or funding shortages.

According to Darabi, the department currently oversees 2,190 school projects with a total allocated budget of 7.2 trillion toman. Of those, 1,087 schools have been completed, while 1,103 projects, valued at 5 trillion toman, remain under construction.

Rather than building entirely new schools under the oil sector’s name, Darabi said completing partially built schools generates greater social value by bringing existing projects into operation more quickly.

He added that, in line with the president’s emphasis on school construction, priority has been given to completing unfinished schools so they can open for the start of the academic year.

Darabi also stressed that project funds are not left idle. Budgets are released as work progresses and payment requests are submitted.

In addition to infrastructure projects, the department is implementing educational capacity-building programs for school administrators, teachers and students in several provinces. The initiative trains selected educators who then pass on their expertise to other teachers, creating a sustainable model for expanding educational capacity. Darabi said further details on the program’s results will be released in a future report.