RIYADH: Six winners took home four different awards in various social work categories at the Seventh Princess Seetah Awards’ gala dinner in Riyadh on Sunday night.
Last year’s winners were also celebrated at the dinner.
Established in April of 2012 by royal decree, the Princess Seetah bint Abdul Aziz Foundation for Excellence in Social Work is an independent nonprofit organization.
Held at the Four Seasons Hotel, the award aims to encourage competition among pioneers of social work, and support excellence in social work locally and internationally.
The award is split into four categories: National achievements in social work, initiatives to support and encourage Islamic endowment, excellence in volunteering programs and projects and social entrepreneurship in social work.
The chairman of the board of the Princess Seetah Foundation and minister of human resources and social development, Ahmed Al-Rajhi, addressed the importance of the award and its impact on the Kingdom’s efforts towards improving social work.
“The Princess Seetah Award … and those who have worked tirelessly to serve our nation and our communities, are working hand in hand to achieve the goals of the national development program, as well as Vision 2030,” he said.
The secretary-general of the Princess Seetah bint Abdul Aziz Award for Excellence in Social Work, Fahd Al-Maghlouth, said that the award’s recipients had touched his heart with their kind-hearted acts and efforts to improve society.
“Speaking about the achievements of our nation, and the efforts of those citizens with great hearts and pure white hands, in service to society, drives me to such pride and joy,” he said.
“570 different applications were put forward for this year’s awards, across all four categories, with 22 shortlisted,” he added.
The late Princess Seetah was famous for her piety, devotion and benevolence. Known as “the mother of the needy” and “the mother of goodness,” her charitable efforts made her a household name over the course of her life.
Her house was open to all types of Saudi people. She would meet with them, listen to their problems and try to find solutions either by following up on their issues, helping them financially or presenting their problems to those in charge if she was unable to do so herself.
During her life, she served as president of the National Family Safety Program, as an honorary member of the Saudi Historical Society, president of Safat Al-Khair Project and president of Al-Saud Women’s Forum.
Her charitable efforts included supporting families of soldiers killed by terrorist incidents, supporting those affected by the torrents of Al-Jouf in 2003 and assisting people affected by the torrents of Makkah in 2006, among many others.
The foundation’s website, as well as the rules and steps for applying, can be found at https://seetahaward.org/
