- The awards were presented by Minister of Labor Ahmad Al-Rajhi
The secretary-general of the Princess Seetah bint Abdul Aziz Award for Excellence in Social Work, Dr. Fahd Al-Maghlouth, announced the winners of the sixth iteration of the awards on Saturday evening.
Under the title “Business Governance and Program Sustainability,” the awards were presented by Minister of Labor Ahmad Al-Rajhi at a special ceremony attended by, among others, the governor of Riyadh.
Al-Maglouth pointed out that the award was inspired by the views and ideas of the late Princess Seetah bint Abdul Aziz, who, throughout her life, was an active charity and social worker.
This year, four institutions and individuals won awards, each receiving SR750,000 ($200,000).
The award for “Initiatives to Support and Encourage Islamic Endowment” was shared by Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah Research and Studies Center and Al-Aradi Charitable Endowments. Both were praised for their unique, innovative submissions, in addition to their integrity and transparency, clear systems of governance, coherent administrative and organizational structures, shared values and stellar output.
The prize for “Excellence in Volunteering Programs and Projects” was won by the Social Services Department at the Royal Commission for Jubail, for its “Sustainable Quality of Life” program. The department was credited for its system of governance, professionalism, integrity and transparency in service delivery, as well as its clear financial and accounting system, implementation and operational plans with measurable performance reports.
The prize for “Social Entrepreneurship in Social Work,” meanwhile, went to Mohammed bin Hamad bin Mohammed Al-Jabr, for his financial support of various Saudi hospitals, Al-Jabr Charity Housing, the Autism Center, a number of boys and girls schools, Al-Ahsa Literary Club, Al-Jabr Charity Hall and a mobile clinic for cancer diagnosis.
Prince Saud bin Fahd, a member of the award’s board of trustees, said that its objectives were to recognize those who consistently pursued social work and launched initiatives that targeted communities in need.
He added that the award aimed to establish a culture of social, charitable, humanitarian and volunteer work across the Kingdom.
Al-Maghlouth congratulated this year’s winners and wished success to all those who had missed out, stressing the importance of participating in such awards in order to improve the quality of social work in the country through competition.
The award is based in Riyadh, and was established in 2012, under the patronage of King Salman, the honorary president of its council. It is an independent nonprofit organization, and has recognized 76 winners, both individuals and institutions, who excelled at social work through various projects and initiatives, over the past few years.