Manama: Jasour – News Desk
The National Autism Center under the Ministry of Social Development today received students specializing in the field of special needs who have been accepted for scholarships at Nizwa University, funded by the Oman Liquefied Natural Gas Company.
The meeting was attended by Her Excellency Dr. Laila bint Ahmed Al-Najjar, Minister of Social Development; Hamad bin Mohammed Al-Numani, CEO of Oman LNG; and Dr. Salem bin Saeed Al-Toubi, Dean of Nizwa University.
The event witnessed the honoring of the top ten outstanding students in the scholarship, followed by a speech from Mohammed bin Ahmed Al-Mahrouqi, Director General of the Directorate General for Special Needs at the Ministry of Social Development.
He stated that, in accordance with the directives of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, Oman has seen qualitative development in the services and programs provided to people with special needs, achieving comprehensive social integration and guaranteeing their right to rehabilitation, education, health, as well as their civil, cultural, economic, and sports rights.
This initiative, resulting from the cooperation between the Ministry and Oman LNG, includes supporting programs and services for children with special needs in government and private rehabilitation centers by providing specialized national technical staff across various fields of special needs.
In a speech from Oman LNG, Engineer Saeed bin Mohammed Al-Harithi, Head of Social Investment Programs at the company, mentioned that this meeting is part of the “Oman’s Gift” initiative, which the company has adopted for decades. It aims to support sustainable national projects that align with the company’s general strategic objectives and coincide with “Oman Vision 2040”.
Among these projects is the National Autism Center, which aims to provide support and care for people with autism spectrum disorder through a range of initiatives and projects that improve the quality of life for this segment of the community. This includes scholarship programs for 92 students in fields such as occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, and physical therapy, as well as a professional diploma program in autism spectrum disorder for 42 students.
The project also includes early intervention program standards, development of hydrotherapy units, and the construction and development of specialized facilities such as the Hope Center and the facilities of the Early Intervention Association.
