Crown Prince Salman affirms govt’s support for charity

Crown Prince Salman, deputy premier and minister of defense, emphasized yesterday the government's keenness to support and encourage charitable works inspired by the teachings of Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him).
Addressing the 20th anniversary of Prince Salman Center for Disability Research, he said the PSCDR represents one of the shining examples of charitable work in the country. “It works to prevent disability through scientific research,” he added.
He said the move is in line with Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah’s direction and keenness to enable Saudi citizens to have a healthy life.
“The government has issued numerous resolutions that seek to minimize the suffering of the handicapped and help them rehabilitate in society in addition to providing both financial and physical assistance to the institutions that look after their welfare,” he pointed out.
He commended the contributions made by King Abdullah, and the late King Fahd, Prince Sultan and Prince Naif toward the center’s progress and urged all those present to contribute to the first PSDC endowment.
Prince Sultan bin Salman, chairman of the center’s Board of Trustees, said that the presence of the crown prince underlines state support led by King Abdullah to the center.
“It also signifies the desire of the Saudi leadership to support institutions involved in the overall development of society, as well as the importance they give to the issue of disability and disabled people,” he said.
Prince Sultan spoke highly of the achievements of PSCDR in the last two decades. The center has gained the confidence and support of the founders, members, entrepreneurs and philanthropists. He commended the inherent goodness and generosity of people in the Kingdom.
“It was not easy to convince people 20 years ago about the idea of creating a scientific research center to study matters related to disability,” the prince said.
He said the center's early detection program has saved the lives of 900 children from disability, besides other programs such as Prince Sultan Advance Research with the collaboration of King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology and King Faisal Specialist Hospital.
Prince Salman honored a number of prominent Saudis who have supported Prince Salman Center for Disability Research during a celebration here yesterday marking PSCDR’s 20th anniversary.
The high-profile function at King Fahd Cultural Center was attended by senior princes, officials and other prominent personalities including foreign diplomats.
He reviewed the major achievements of the center since its inception in the cause of rehabilitating the victims of disability and the vital role played by the center in bridging the gap in specialized research.
A number of Saudi personalities were honored during the ceremony for their outstanding support to the advancement of the center and launching national initiatives in the field of disability.
The center also received a prestigious award from Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, named the best scientific research center in the Arab world, as well as the GITEX Global Center Award.
The event will also feature an exhibition of most programs and projects adopted by the center since its inception. These include the national program for testing early and comprehensive accessibility program, learning difficulties and integrated systems for program development of daycare centers, the National Survey of Health and the pressures of life and academic training, in addition to the scholarship program.
The 20th anniversary highlighted the diligent work the PSCDR and its partners have conducted during the past two decades. The center aspires to become a recognized center of excellence in disability research with a global impact.
The center has established various programs and activities including, training programs for disabled persons, a national project for learning disabilities, a universal accessibility program and an early detection program. PSCDR created the Prince Salman Award for Disability Research to encourage and support researchers who have contributed to field of disability.