RIYADH: Riyadh Gov. Prince Faisal bin Bandar urged corporate bodies to take up as many social responsibility projects as they can to serve the people in society.

The prince spoke at the inauguration of SABIC’s Health Beacon, a corporate social responsibility (CSR) program, at the municipal grounds in Al-Jazeerah district, on Wednesday.

The eight-day program, under the theme “Your Life is Valuable,” is organized by SABIC in collaboration with Riyadh municipality, the National Project on Prevention of Drugs (NIBRAS) and National Committee for Combating Drugs.

Others present at the event included Prince Saud bin Abdullah bin Thunayan Al-Saud, chairman of Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu and Chairman of SABIC; Ibrahim Al-Sultan, mayor of Riyadh; Yousuf bin Abdullah Al-Benyan, SABIC acting vice chairman and CEO; Abdulelah bin Mohammed Al-Shareef, general secretary of the National Committee for Combating Drugs; Gen. Ahmed bin Sadi Al-Zahrani, general manager, General Directorate for Narcotics Control; Gen. Awwad bin Eid Al-Beluwi, general manager, General Directorate for Boarder Guard; along with several SABIC executives, and senior officials of Riyadh Municipality and National Committee for Combating Drugs.

Commending the role of SABIC in society, the governor said SABIC’s Health Beacon program will have positive effects on several health, social and industrial areas of activity.

SABIC’s Health Beacon involves a combination of learning experiences through education and entertainment for the entire family, all under one roof. It aims at enlightening the community on the importance of adopting good practices for healthy living, and educating them on the adverse effects of drug abuse.

Prince Faisal also toured an accompanying exhibition where 19 participating bodies are displaying their experiences in the field of health awareness and drug combating. He visited the Children’s Theater, which can accommodate about 600 children. Other activities include the King Salman Center for Disability Research mobile car, a breast cancer early check-up mobile clinic, and the King Faisal Specialist Hospital mobile van for blood donation.

Thanking the governor, Prince Saud said that since its inception, SABIC has given top priority to social responsibility and has initiated several ambitious programs to support the community. “The Saudi government spent billions of riyals on health services, but the private sector has its own role to play. SABIC has participated in several projects for the good of the community. NEBRAS, an anti-drug project, is one such project launched under the auspices of the crown prince.”

Yousef Al-Benyan, SABIC acting Vice Chairman and CEO, said: “SABIC has a five-year, SR50 million program, the National Project on Prevention of Drugs (NIBRAS), in collaboration with the National Committee for Combating Drugs, and recently made a decision to establish, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, a SR300 million SABIC Specialized Hospital for Mental Health and Addiction Treatment in Riyadh. This is in addition to the ongoing work with the Health Ministry to launch a SR15 million ‘Midway Center’ which is a rehabilitation center.”

The show is open for eight days in two sessions — 9 a.m. to noon, and 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.