Award-winning Saudi speech disorder treatment primed to go global

Prince Saud bin Abdullah bin Jalawi, Jeddah's acting governor (Right) in a photo with Dr. Abdullah Kreshan, supervisor of SSC project (Left) and Ahmed Al-Muhanna, project manager, after handing a creativity award to SSC. (Supplied)
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Updated 14 April 2022
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Award-winning Saudi speech disorder treatment primed to go global

  • The SSC was recently presented with the Jeddah Prize for Community Creativity

JEDDAH: Officials behind an award-winning Saudi health project to help stutterers overcome the debilitating speech disorder are aiming to offer the treatment globally.

As part of the Smart Stuttering Community scheme, more than 400 people in the Kingdom have successfully completed five-day therapy sessions designed to bring their disfluency conditions under control.

And with an estimated 80 million sufferers around the world, SSC organizers are aiming to link up with Saudi, Middle East, and international health bodies to promote the drug-free treatment.

The SSC was recently presented with the Jeddah Prize for Community Creativity during a ceremony on the sidelines of the fifth edition of the Makkah “How to Set an Example” initiative, an event held under the patronage of Makkah Deputy Gov. Prince Badr bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz.

Dr. Abdullah Kreshan, general supervisor of the SSC project, said the organization hoped the accolade would pave the way for more regional and international awards and recognition.

He pointed out that the scheme was the first of its kind in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East, positively changing the lives of stutterers by helping them to speak more fluently and coherently within days, adding that an estimated 350,000 people in the Kingdom had the disorder.

“We offer specialized workshops with a number of experts who work on the main cause of the problem, breathing. Stuttering is caused by a disturbance in the human respiratory system,” Kreshan said.

“When academicians from King Abdulaziz University, the University of Jeddah, and Effat University looked into our research they, along with KAU President Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Youbi, showed great interest in our project and suggested a higher coordination with the Ministry of Education once our academic research was over,” he added.

He noted that a KAU research team had been assigned to monitor the project and that when the treatment methodology had been officially registered their research could be published globally. The SSC was also working alongside a scientific team from the same university on a scholarly work.

Kreshan said video-recorded interviews had been carried out with the 400 people in Saudi Arabia who had already been helped to overcome the speech disorder.

“We interviewed these people before and after receiving the therapy, as we want those joining our programs to help us spread awareness through the videos. We also have certificates from guardians, proving we have succeeded in assisting their relatives to become normal speakers.”

Stuttering, he added, was a physiological disorder of the respiratory system that could be caused by either a genetic factor or the shock of a traumatic experience, such as being chased by a dog.

Kreshan pointed out that a normally functioning respiratory system was important to forming words and sounds.

“It starts between the ages of one and six. We all learn to speak when we are young, and this is called the sub-conscience mindset. During these early years, we usually do not teach our children in a conscious way,” he said.

But in later life, experiences such as parental divorce, a car accident, strict teacher, or being trapped in an elevator, could disrupt breathing and trigger a stutter.

“After that, another problem arises. The brain begins to get used to the new way of speaking, and as there is no other alternative in communicating with people, stuttering becomes a habit,” he added.

“We host stutterers in five-star hotels and subject them to a five-day training camp in which they receive intensive scientific, psychological programs to help them get rid of producing unnecessary repetitive sounds,” Kreshan said.

The SSC was now only admitting applicants aged 15 or over. “As for stutterers aged from seven to 14, no institute or organization in the world is dealing with their cases,” he added.

He noted that around 70 to 80 percent of stutterers in the world were male, and that the condition usually developed in people aged between five and 20. With help, it often disappeared over time, and in rare cases went of its own accord, he said.


Four years with a company counts as loyalty in the modern job market, HR summit hears

Updated 18 June 2025
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Four years with a company counts as loyalty in the modern job market, HR summit hears

  • Delegates at Human Resources Summit and Expo in Riyadh hear generational diversity and differing views on career progression are challenges that must be addressed
  • Experts discussed the effects of AI on the job market and explored strategies businesses need to adopt to ‘future-proof’ talent and navigate changing work landscapes

RIYADH: An employee who remains in the same role for four years is considered loyal in today’s job market, the audience at a human resources conference in Riyadh heard during a panel discussion on Tuesday.

The comment, at the Human Resources Summit and Expo, came from Syed Azharudin, director of learning and organizational development at logistical services company Ajex, who cited a recent study into workforce trends. Generational diversity is a factor that has to be addressed, he added.

“The biggest challenge for the HR industry is that you have different generations working together, like Gen X, baby boomers, millennials, Gen Z, and soon Gen Alpha, so you cannot have a blanket approach,” Azharudin said.

People from the most recent generations are more likely to be “job-hoppers,” he added; a study by global tech consultancy FDM Group found that Generation Z respondents were 13 per cent more likely than their non-Gen Z counterparts to view their current role as a stepping stone to a better career. 

In other sessions, HR experts discussed the effects of artificial intelligence on the job market, and explored the strategies companies need to adopt in their attempts to “future-proof” talent and navigate ever-changing work landscapes. As the rapidly evolving technology continues to dominate headlines, they considered a hot-button question: What would the future look like if human labor was replaced by AI?

“We’re not going to lose (our jobs) but we also need to make sure that we go efficiently and with innovative ways to utilize such tools,” said Eid Alkhaldi, succession management director at the Saudi Telcom Company.

During another discussion, Nada Al-Hassan, the Saudi Ministry of Investment’s director of training and development, spoke about ways to advance inclusive leadership in the region. 

“There are a lot of success stories and a lot of initiatives in all governmental sectors (in Saudi Arabia),” she said, highlighting in particular the Vision 2030 Human Resources Development Program and the Saudization program Tawteen.

The Human Resources Summit and Expo began on June 15 and continues until June 19.


Saudia flight from Jeddah to Jakarta diverted after bomb threat, lands safely

Inspections by authorities confirmed the aircraft was secure and the bomb threat was false. (Supplied)
Updated 18 June 2025
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Saudia flight from Jeddah to Jakarta diverted after bomb threat, lands safely

  • ⁠Flight SV5276, bound for Jakarta, was rerouted to a different airport in Indonesia after an email claimed there was an explosive device on board
  • The aircraft landed safely at Kualanamu International Airport in Medan, where passengers and crew evacuated the aircraft and nobody was hurt

RIYADH: Saudia has confirmed that all passengers and crew are safe after a flight from Jeddah to Jakarta made an emergency landing at another airport in Indonesia, Al Arabiya News Channel reported on Tuesday.

The flight was forced to divert after an email threat claimed there was a bomb on board, a Saudia spokesperson said.

Abdullah Al-Shahrani, the airline’s general manager of corporate communications, told Al Arabiya that in response to the security alert, Flight SV5276 was rerouted to Kualanamu International Airport in Medan as a precaution.

The plane landed there safely and all passengers and crew evacuated the aircraft without incident and nobody was hurt, he added. Inspections by authorities confirmed the aircraft was secure and the bomb threat was false. Al-Shahrani said passenger safety remains Saudia’s top priority and the airline was working to help passengers continue their journeys.

In a statement to Arab News, Saudia confirmed: “In response to a security alert received in flight, Saudia diverted Flight SV5276, operating from Jeddah to Jakarta, to Kualanamu International Airport in Indonesia as a precautionary measure.

“The aircraft landed safely, and all guests and crew disembarked without incident. Local authorities conducted standard checks shortly after landing, and have cleared the aircraft for continued operation.

“The safety and well-being of our guests and crew remain Saudia’s highest priority. Full care and support have been provided and onward travel arrangements are being made."


UN two-state conference co-chairs urge renewed push for Palestinian state amid regional escalation

Updated 18 June 2025
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UN two-state conference co-chairs urge renewed push for Palestinian state amid regional escalation

  • The statement said the latest escalation had “necessitated the suspension” of the high-level conference in New York

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia and France, co-chairs of the United Nations Conference on the Peaceful Settlement of the Palestinian Question, joined with the chairs of the conference’s working groups in issuing a joint statement on Tuesday expressing “deep concern” over recent developments in the region, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The statement said the latest escalation had “necessitated the suspension” of the high-level conference, underscoring “the validity of warnings about the fragility of the situation” and the urgent need to “restore calm, respect international law, and strengthen diplomatic action.”

Despite the setback, the group reaffirmed their “full commitment to the conference’s objectives” and pledged to “ensure the continuity of its work and the achievement of its goals,” SPA added.

They added that “the co-chairs of the working groups will announce the date of the conference's roundtables soon,” with the aim of generating “clear and coordinated international commitments” to advance the implementation of a two-state solution.

“In these critical circumstances,” the statement continued, “we must redouble our efforts calling for respect for international law and the sovereignty of states, and to promote peace, freedom, and dignity for all peoples of the region.”

The group also reiterated its “unwavering support for all efforts aimed at ending the war in Gaza” and called for a “just and sustainable settlement of the Palestinian issue,” affirming that regional stability and security hinge on a lasting peace.


Riyadh event highlights women’s role in diplomacy

Updated 17 June 2025
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Riyadh event highlights women’s role in diplomacy

  • Speech stresses progress made under King Salman, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman

RIYADH: The Prince Saud Al-Faisal Institute for Diplomatic Studies in Riyadh has held a symposium to mark the forthcoming International Day of Women in Diplomacy. It was attended by Vice Foreign Minister Waleed Elkhereiji, female diplomatic leaders, and ambassadors accredited to the Kingdom.

Elkhereiji spoke of the importance of empowering women in diplomacy, citing the progress made under the leadership of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in light of the Vision 2030 reform plan.

He noted that Saudi women now serve as ambassadors, leaders, and negotiators on the global stage, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The symposium discussed efforts to support women’s diplomatic careers, the role of men in advancing change, and the unique contributions women bring to diplomacy.

Topics also included the global rise of women in diplomacy, their impact on foreign and domestic policy, and ways to enhance female participation in multilateral forums to address future challenges.


Saudi theatrical show ‘Terhal’ returns to Diriyah

Updated 17 June 2025
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Saudi theatrical show ‘Terhal’ returns to Diriyah

  • “Terhal” is a pioneering Saudi production which boasts advanced lighting and visual technology

RIYADH: The Ministry of Culture is to present the theatrical performance “Terhal” from Aug. 4-25 at Mayadeen Venue in Diriyah.

“Terhal” is a pioneering Saudi production which boasts advanced lighting and visual technology, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

It offers a visually captivating experience, telling the story of a young Saudi man who dreams of shaping his country’s future.

His journey across the Kingdom takes him through diverse landscapes and rich traditions, helping him to rediscover Saudi Arabia’s cultural and natural heritage. He returns to his village at the end with renewed confidence, wisdom, and hope.

The show features stunning scenes inspired by Saudi landscapes, and highlights young Saudi talents alongside renowned international performers.

The second edition of “Terhal” builds on the success of its 2023 debut which celebrated Saudi culture, from performing arts to handicrafts, traditional attire and cuisine.