Jeddah Health Affairs Director Dr. Sami Badawood inaugurated the International Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Conference on Monday.

The three-day conference and exhibition has been organized by the Saudi Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (SSOMS) under the patronage of Jeddah Gov. Prince Mishaal bin Majed.

Speaking at the inaugural session, Dr. Badawood said, “The main goal of the conference is to share experiences with experts from around the world and to expose our colleagues to latest strategies and training programs.”

He said that the conference would help improve the outcome of the training programs in Saudi Arabia.

Welcoming the guests, Dr. Masaad S. Bahatheq, chairman of the conference and vice president of the SSOMS, said that the SSOMS planned to organize such events annually with focus on the wide scope of oral and maxillofacial surgery.

“The main theme of the conference is facial cosmetic surgery and several workshops have been organized in this regard,” he said.

Dr. Khaloud N.A. Moussa, oral and maxillofacial specialist at King Fahd Hospital, said that it was a great opportunity to meet international speakers and discuss latest developments in the field.

He said that the event would help local doctors share their experiences with international experts and would also help them learn about latest methods and technologies.

"The ratio of road accidents in the Kingdom is much higher in the world," he said adding that on an average King Fahd Hospital handles 15 cases per week.

A large number of international and local health experts and students are attending the event.