Press Releases

<p>The Autism Research Center at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center has signed its new partnership agreement with Riyad Bank to support the activities of the center for the next three years. The bank’s support is the largest in the Kingdom in the field of autism that targets supporting the activities of the center including its studies, requirements and operational budget.</p><p>The signing ceremony was attended by Dr. Ahmed Abdulkarim Alkholifey, the Governor of Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority (SAMA), Dr. Majid Ibrahim Al Fayyadh, Chief Executive Officer of King Faisal Specialist Hospital &amp; Research Centre, Eng. Abdullah Al-Issa, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Riyad Bank, Dr. Hisham Al. Thalan, the Director of the Autism Research Center at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center and a number of the bank’s and the hospital’s employees.</p><p>Dr. Ahmed Alkholifey lauded the pioneering role being played by Riyad Bank to sponsor and support the activities of the center, calling on everyone to adopt such developmental and humanitarian initiatives that ensure sustainability and in turn, build a healthy society. Alkholifey wished all success to the doctors as well as the medical and administrative staff in serving children with autism and their families and in spreading more studies and research of this kind.</p><p>Dr. Ahmed Alkholifey lauded the pioneering role being played by Riyad Bank to sponsor and support the activities of the center, calling on everyone to adopt such developmental and humanitarian initiatives that ensure sustainability and in turn, build a healthy society. Alkholifey wished all success to the doctors as well as the medical and administrative staff in serving children with autism and their families and in spreading more studies and research of this kind.</p><p>Eng. Al Issa, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Riyad Bank, confirmed that the Bank's support for the Center is part of the bank's mission to serve the community and support people with special needs who are an essential component of the community. He added that the choice of autism research center to be among the list supported by the bank stems from its sincere belief that autistic children are in urgent need of intensive studies and research that help to diagnose and treat their medical condition as well as providing the appropriate environment for their care and development. Al-Issa said that this agreement between Riyad Bank and King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center comes as result of extensive planning and thorough study to develop programs sponsored by the bank to maximize benefits for the targeted groups.</p><p>Dr. Hisham Al. Thalan, Director of Autism Research Center at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center in Riyadh, praised the role of Riyad Bank in leading social responsibility. He pointed out that this agreement supports the continuity of the Center for the next years, where the Center aspires to increase the number of diagnosed children as well as increasing the number of specialists trained on scientifically proven methods of treatment for people with Autistic Spectrum Disorders. He also noted the Center's plan of localizing the scientifically proven training programs such as applied behavior analysis and sensory integration to achieve self-sufficiency in line with the Kingdom Vision 2030.</p><p>It is worth to mention that, the Autism Research Center at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center was established in 2010 with the aim of establishing a center of excellence that specializes in autism research by adapting the latest diagnostic and therapeutic methods based on scientific research and evidence as well as conducting advanced studies to achieve a more accurate and in-depth understanding of the causes of autism and develop ways of early diagnosis in cooperation with various local, regional and global centers.</p><p>The Autism Research Center is located in a separate building inside King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center in Riyadh. The building was donated by His Royal Highness Prince Faisal bin Fahad bin Abdulaziz for dialysis patients while his son His Royal Highness Prince Nawaf bin Faisal converted it later to be the headquarters of the Autism Research Center.</p><p>It is also worth mentioning that Riyad Bank has many productive partnerships with organizations and associations that care for people with special needs. These include Yadawi initiative for women with disabilities, the agricultural training program for people with mental disabilities in Al-Ahsa, the summer camp for people with disabilities in Riyadh, Al-Baha, Hail, and Tabuk in addition to other programs, initiatives, and activities.</p>