RIYADH, 11 September — Two Saudi teenagers, one disabled, have embarked on a voyage of discovery with a difference. A traditional sailing ship, The Lord Nelson, took them on a cruise to the coastal areas of Britain this week as part of an effort to foster cultural understanding between Saudi and British youth.
The voyage is the result of an initiative taken by BAE Systems under the Memorandum of Understanding exchange program for sport and culture. The two Saudi teenagers — Nawaf Al-Ossaimi and Abdulrahman Al-Hegaili, selected by the General Presidency of Youth Welfare, are part of a 46-strong crew on the ship, Peter Waddell of BAE Systems told Arab News.
He said each member of the crew has been assigned a task as part of the teamwork for promoting cultural understanding between the two peoples.
The ship is specially designed to be sailed by disabled people. Its facilities include wide gangways, powered lifts, a speaking compass for the blind, and a bright track radar for the partially sighted.
Ever since her maiden voyage in 1986, these trips have helped to promote interaction between the disabled and able-bodied people through the teamwork that is demanded when sailing a vessel,” Waddell said.
BAE Systems is a leading corporate supporter of education, sports training and related social causes.
