RIYADH: Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif, minister of interior, considered National Day “an occasion to understand the true meaning of pride and respect for the efforts exerted by our ancestors to achieve development, growth and prosperity, which was the founder king’s wish.”
In a speech he delivered on this occasion, the prince said: “This day means a lot to us, for it is the day when the late-founder, King Abdul Aziz, unified the Kingdom, made it a stable and safe place, and abolished poverty.”
He added: “One of the best things we have in the Kingdom is stability, which is considered the most important factor that helped the state grow, thrive and develop to become an internationally pioneering state. Today the Kingdom continues to develop with Vision 2030 aiming to boost its economy.
“The Kingdom, since its establishment, has exerted all possible efforts to serve Saudis, expatriates, and pilgrims from all over the world, and preserve the sacred sites. It faced the most difficult and dangerous challenges that threatened the security of many states, such as terrorism that disrupted regional stability and security.
“However, the Kingdom was able to thwart many terrorist plans and dismantle terrorist networks thanks to the government’s support of the Ministry of Interior and the security forces,” he said.
Meanwhile, the secretary-general of the Council of Arab Interior Ministers, Mohammed bin Ali Kuman, said that Saudi national day is a unique historic occasion that makes all Saudis proud.
In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) on the occasion of the 87th National Day, Kuman said: “How could it not be? It is the day founder late King Abdul Aziz unified the Kingdom and dedicated his life so Saudis could have a safe and stable life.”
He added: “We celebrate this great day as the Kingdom is proceeding steadily toward a promising future. Despite the regional challenges, security threats and political volatility, the Kingdom, under the guidance of King Salman and the crown prince, was able to prove to the whole world that it is capable of overcoming all possible obstacles, reinforcing security and stability, and coming up with many developmental projects.”
We understand the true meaning of pride, respect for our founder’s efforts: Saudi Interior minister
We understand the true meaning of pride, respect for our founder’s efforts: Saudi Interior minister
Saudi surgeons train Indonesian doctors in maxillofacial, thyroid surgery
- Saudi team is embedded with a general hospital in eastern Indonesian city of Makassar
- During their stay in Indonesia, they performed free maxillofacial, thyroid surgery on 60 patients
JAKARTA: A 19-member surgical team from Saudi Arabia has trained Indonesian doctors in oral, maxillofacial and thyroid surgery under a King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center program to expand access to advanced medical procedures in eastern Indonesia.
The Saudi medics were embedded with their Indonesian colleagues at the Wahidin Sudirohusodo Central General Hospital in Makassar, South Sulawesi province.
“KSrelief’s medical team consisted of surgeons and consultants, so doctors from our hospital had the opportunity to directly observe surgical procedures done by the Saudi doctors that have never been performed here,” Aulia Yamin, spokesperson of the Makassar hospital, told Arab News on Tuesday.
“There were also in-depth discussions on diagnosis and plans for surgery for highly complex cases.”
The KSrelief team was in Indonesia in late December, during which Saudi doctors performed free maxillofacial and thyroid surgery on 60 patients, she added.
The transfer of knowledge by KSrelief also supported Indonesia’s health system transformation plan, which seeks to improve access and quality of services in all regional government hospitals, particularly in eastern Indonesia.
“Makassar is the primary transportation and health referral hub for eastern Indonesia, which means there’s a high number of cases requiring maxillofacial and thyroid surgeries,” Yamin said.
“We hope that this collaboration can continue in the future for other cases, so that more Indonesians can benefit from the program.”
The KSrelief program had also included guest lectures by the Saudi doctors, covering facial and jaw reconstruction as well as updated and new approaches to paranoid gland surgery.
“We’re really thankful to the very hard work that we saw here. The (Indonesian) team was with us day and night and throughout very long surgeries and very complex surgeries,” Prof. Basem T. Jamal, who led the KSrelief team in Makassar, said in a video statement.
“And not only was it supporting the medical effort, but there was always interest in expressing and exchanging knowledge and experiences, and it was really really, a very rich experience for all of us.”
KSrelief has conducted similar programs in other parts of Indonesia, including in Medan, North Sumatra in 2024 that focused on training Indonesian doctors in advanced cardiac procedures on adults and children.
