3,000 disabled children from DCA enjoy the Safari experience at Red Sea Mall

As prime attractions in Saudi Arabia’s major cities, shopping malls vie for the attention of shoppers and tourists with innovative, fun entertainment events.

Being open to all people from all walks of life, many of these events are geared towards people with special needs.

Red Sea Mall, the must-go quality shopping center of Jeddah, itself the icon of the mall’s namesake Red Sea, recently hosted a number of children from the Disabled Children Association – King Abdullah Center to live the Safari experience as part of the Jeddah Ghair Festival.

More than 10 children, along with their families and specialists from the association, enjoyed themselves at the event, with direct supervision from top officials at the association. They were accompanied by the Sharai family, which handed out gifts and memorabilias.

Mohammed Alawi, CEO of Red Sea Markets Co. Ltd. The owning company of the mall, thanked his Royal Highness Prince Sultan Bin Salman Al Saud, Chairman of the association, for being on the forefront of positive change for people with special needs in Saudi Arabia.

Prince Sultan worked hard to cater to the disabled’s every need, and the results of his work can be seen at countless public and private institutions, which responded by facilitating their access to their premises and move around freely, said Alawi.

“Seeing as to how the [Red Sea Mall] is one of Jeddah’s prime tourist and entertainment attractions, we felt committed to being open to all people from every swathe of the society,” he said. “We made it a point to provide an appropriate atmosphere and make their visit as enjoyable and as safe as possible, aspects which we were careful to incorporate into the very design of the mall, with the aim being to help people, and especially those with special needs, move around smoothly and with as few impediments as possible.”

Alawi added that all of the mall’s 21 gates have facilities to ease the disabled’s entry and exit. Additionally, there are 42 parking spots for the disabled near the gates, as well as special conveyances they can rent for very small fees to help themselves move around the mall with ease.

“We have an obligation towards the disabled, and everyone should provide whatever is necessary to make their mobility as smooth and as easy as possible, be they in shopping malls government buildings or any other public places,” he said. “There should not be any difficulty or impediment that would reflect badly on their emotional wellbeing. With the grace of God, we have seen plenty of positive change in the levels of attention given to the disabled, not only emotionally, but at a grassroots level as well.”

Supervised and sponsored by its chairman, Prince Sultan Bin Salman, the DCA is a powerhouse of charity across the Kingdom. The association provides services to some 3,000 disabled children through 13 centers all over the Kingdom, one of the most prominent of which is King Abdullah Center for Disabled Children in Jeddah. The center caters to more than 500 children with pioneering programs, such as the Space Suit program, Equestrian program, and educational and social units, among many other treatment, educational and enablement programs.