RIYADH, 10 July 2005 — Prince Salman, Riyadh governor and founder of the Prince Salman Center for Disability Research (PSCDR), thanked Desmond P. Carr, board chairman and chief executive officer of ExxonMobil Saudi Arabia Inc. when ExxonMobil enrolled in the PSCDR Founders’ Council recently.
Prince Salman welcomed Carr in his office and expressed his appreciation and gratitude for ExxonMobil’s positive response to PSCDR’s humanitarian mission.
As a Founders’ Council member, ExxonMobil has donated SR5 million to the research center.
“We at PSCDR are touched by ExxonMobil’s support. It will go a long way as far as PSCDR’s mission to help the disabled is concerned,” Prince Salman said.
In response, Carr said supporting PSCDR’s activities is in line with ExxonMobil’s social programs.
“ExxonMobil has worldwide social programs specially those humanitarian in nature and its participation in the Founders’ Council as a member is in line with such programs,” Carr said.
Prince Sultan ibn Salman, chairman of the board of trustees of PSCDR, stressed the importance of scientific research that touches people’s lives. He added that ExxonMobil’s gesture comes within the framework of forming international coalitions in support of scientific research to alleviate the suffering of the disabled in society.
He also hoped that ExxonMobil would be involved in PSCDR’s projects in the next phase.
“PSCDR currently has 88 members enlisted in the Founders’ Council from individuals, families, private institutions and charitable organizations,” said Waleed K. Al-Deaigy, assistant executive director for media affairs.
PSCDR is also currently undertaking 24 scientific research programs as part of its mission to take an active role in helping Saudis with disabilities. These goals include a five-fold increase in PSCDR’s funding of high-quality basic and applied research projects. They include training and development of disability research in the Middle East, development of interdisciplinary research teams to address large-scale research problems.
