RIYADH: A new app has been launched to facilitate early detection and accurate diagnosis of developmental problems in children.
Launched by Alwaleed Philanthropies and the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, Maharat (meaning “skills” in Arabic) aims to help millions of children across the Middle East, and provide specialists with tools to detect issues through scientific and practical methods.
Amal Al-Kathiri, executive manager of local initiatives at Alwaleed Philanthropies, said the most valuable element of the app is that it provides accessible professional services for all, developed by experts in psychology, pedagogy and other relevant specialties. Most of the specialists are from Saudi Arabia, she added.
“Alwaleed Philanthropies is committed to support communities and develop sustainable solutions, which is the main goal of the app,” Al-Kathiri told Arab News.
She said Maharat will benefit those in early childhood, with particular focus on children with motor and cognitive developmental delay, hyperactivity, impulsivity, poor communication and motivation for language learning, concentration problems, attention problems and working memory deficit.
“Once families get the diagnosis from Maharat, applicants will go through the assessment stage then the treatment plan,” she added.
Al-Kathiri said experts will help applicants go through the treatment plan step by step, explaining to them the daily process, including children’s diet and what foods to avoid.
Specialists will be hired from various regions in order to provide expert advice with regard to how culture, for example, plays a role in a child’s behavior and how these cultural norms reflect on the diagnosis.
The app will provide free diagnosis. According to a patient’s family income, a specialist will decide whether treatment will also be free, and if not, how much will be charged.
“Our aim is to help people with low income get benefits from the app by avoiding paying for transportation and clinic visit fees,” said Al-Kathiri.
Alwaleed Philanthropies and the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology have also cooperated with
the Elm Agency to establish a center for the deaf and hearing-impaired.
The Hearing Impaired Center Project provides services such as remote video sign-language interpreting and 24-hour dedicated interpreters when needed.
New Saudi app helps diagnose kids’ developmental problems
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New Saudi app helps diagnose kids’ developmental problems
Saudi Arabia, regional partners reject any move to displace Palestinians from Gaza
- Expressed deep concern over Israeli statements about the opening of the Rafah crossing in one direction only
RIYADH: The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, UAE, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkiye and Qatar on Friday expressed deep concern over Israeli statements about the opening of the Rafah crossing in one direction only, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
In a joint statement, the ministers said it was a move that could facilitate the displacement of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip into Egypt.
They firmly rejected any attempts to force Palestinians from their land, stressing the need for full adherence to the plan put forward by US President Donald Trump, which stipulated opening of the Rafah crossing in both directions and guaranteeing freedom of movement without coercion.
The ministers emphasized that conditions must be created to allow Palestinians to remain on their land and take part in rebuilding their homeland, under a comprehensive framework aimed at restoring stability and addressing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
They reiterated their appreciation for Trump’s commitment to regional peace and underscored the importance of implementing his plan in full and without obstruction.
The statement also highlighted the urgent need for a sustained ceasefire, an end to civilian suffering, unrestricted humanitarian access to Gaza, and the launch of early recovery and reconstruction efforts.
The ministers further called for conditions that would enable the Palestinian Authority to resume its responsibilities in the enclave.
The eight countries reaffirmed their readiness to continue coordinating with the US and international partners to ensure full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2803 and other relevant resolutions, in pursuit of a just and lasting peace based on international law and the two-state solution, including the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
