Saudi ‘Alhasalah’ Social Initiative Ranks First in King Khalid Development Partners Award

Prince Faisal bin Khalid, the emir of Asir and chairman of King Khalid Award Committee, during the announcement of the winners | Asharq Al-Awsat
Prince Faisal bin Khalid, the emir of Asir and chairman of King Khalid Award Committee, during the announcement of the winners | Asharq Al-Awsat
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Saudi ‘Alhasalah’ Social Initiative Ranks First in King Khalid Development Partners Award

Prince Faisal bin Khalid, the emir of Asir and chairman of King Khalid Award Committee, during the announcement of the winners | Asharq Al-Awsat
Prince Faisal bin Khalid, the emir of Asir and chairman of King Khalid Award Committee, during the announcement of the winners | Asharq Al-Awsat

The world’s childhood must-have “Alhasalah” (Arabic for piggy bank) has transformed through Saudi community efforts into an initiative for raising awareness on monetary management, investment and savings.
Alhasala initiative won first place in the King Khalid Development Partners Award.

Saad Al Hamoudi, who founded the initiative back in 2009, explains that it is one of the most important Saudi voluntary works when it comes to raising the public’s monetary awareness and promoting savings and rationalization of consumption.

Those two principles are in line with the Kingdom's national transformation program Kingdom Vision 2030.

The initiative aims to increase savings of individuals and families by 6 to 10 percent, Hamoudi told Asharq Al-Awsat.

“Alhasala initiative is active in various social networks, in addition to setting up countless workshops and exhibitions with a grassroots audience.”

“Over 3,000 children have been trained so that young people can get used to saving since childhood,” he added.

According to Hamoudi, some 800 men and women were trained on raising awareness about family saving plans and cost-cutting.

At least 40 informative videos simplifying fiscal management were released in different languages by Alhasala’s team.

Asked about the future plan of the initiative, Hamoudi reveals hopes for going fully into e-training so that the program reaches more people, and possibly regionally.

Awareness podcasts and films are covered by the initiative as well.

Prince Faisal bin Khalid, of the Asir region and chairman of the King Khalid Award Committee, announced that the initiative won 42 percent of the total votes in a mass email voting mechanism through the King Khalid Foundation website.

He said that the Foundation embraced prosperity by activating the role of the development partners, as well as empowering them through social investment and building capabilities to ensure the emergence of a Saudi community with equal opportunities.

There are intentions to expand the competition for the award beyond Saudi borders to include fellow countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Bahrain and Kuwait, he added.

“Adam Campaign” came in second place with 29 percent of the total votes. Launched in 2014, the initiative raises public awareness, among youth in particular, on coexistence and tolerance with the objective of curbing racism and extreme practices and emboldening the creation of inclusive and peaceful societies.



MWL: Two-State Solution Conference Marks Pivotal Moment for Global Action

The Muslim World League (MWL) logo
The Muslim World League (MWL) logo
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MWL: Two-State Solution Conference Marks Pivotal Moment for Global Action

The Muslim World League (MWL) logo
The Muslim World League (MWL) logo

The Muslim World League (MWL) expressed strong optimism for the High-Level International Conference for “The Peaceful Settlement of the Palestinian Question and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution”, co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and the French Republic.

The conference will take place this week at the United Nations headquarters in New York with broad international participation.

MWL Secretary-General and Chairman of the Organization of Muslim Scholars Sheikh Mohammed Al-Issa said in a statement issued by the General Secretariat that the conference renews hope for revitalizing the peace process in line with established international legitimacy resolutions and the fundamental historical and legal rights of the Palestinian people, which are the pathway to comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in the region.

He underscored that the international community must seize the opportunity presented by the conference to stand on the right side of history, adopting a legitimate and responsible stance in support of truth and justice, upholding international legitimacy, and taking decisive action to end this devastating human tragedy and its far-reaching consequences for both the region and the global community

Al-Issa also reiterated the justness of the Palestinian cause, highlighting its deep-rooted significance in both the Arab and Islamic worlds, as well as in the hearts of all who value justice, grounded in established historical and legal truths.