Al-Jazirah - Local News

His Royal Highness Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, the Special Advisor to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the King Salman Center for Disability Research, yesterday signed a contract for the project to construct the Center's new building in Riyadh with a specialized national company.

During the signing ceremony, His Highness explained that the land grant on which the Center will be established is a gift from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, reflecting the Center's great attention and generous support from him - may God protect him. He affirmed that the project's implementation is an extension of the support provided by the wise leadership - may God support them - for scientific research and innovation, and for the importance of employing knowledge and technology in developing solutions and improving the quality of life for persons with disabilities. This enhances the Center's status as a leading national entity in disability research and enables it to expand its scientific and knowledge impact, as the Center's research support has exceeded (850) local and international studies and more than (700) specialized research groups, contributing to achieving the Kingdom's goals and global leadership in the fields of research, development, and innovation.

The project, which is being implemented on an area of 6,000 square meters in the Al-Raed district of Riyadh, includes a building for the business center and its programs, and another building as an investment endowment to support the sustainability of the Center's operations and programs. One building is five stories high and the other is six stories, and they contain office spaces, specialized laboratories, and parking for 300 vehicles.

It also includes spaces prepared for partners and researchers, and multi-purpose training halls designed to host scientific programs, events, and international scientific conferences that the Center has organized since 1992. Its design takes into account the highest standards of universal accessibility and energy efficiency, ensuring ease of use of facilities for persons with disabilities and the elderly, in a practical embodiment of the Center's mission and human values.

The new headquarters embodies the fruit of the integrated support and efforts of the Center's founders and partners over the years, and provides an institutional environment that supports the sustainability of these partnerships and opens broader horizons for launching qualitative initiatives and maximizing their scientific and societal impact. It also represents a practical translation of the Center's slogan and mission: 'Science that benefits people' and 'Courage towards the future', by including multi-use spaces and expandable facilities in the project, keeping pace with the growth of the Center's programs and future initiatives, and enhancing its readiness to accommodate the expansion of research and training activities.