wasl sponsors Umrah trip for members of UAE Disabled Sports Federation

The sponsorship comes in the form of an all expense paid trip to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia, providing athletes with an opportunity to successfully perform their Islamic rituals.

Alya Al Mutawa, General Manager- Marketing and Corporate Communications, wasl, said:

"As a socially responsible corporation, wasl acknowledges the welfare of people from every segment of society. Our company is built around the core philosophy of 'We value people', and we explore every opportunity to support this principle."

Al Mutawa added, "Following in the footsteps of our country's wise leadership, which calls for the continuous support of the disabled in our society, we consider it our duty to encourage them to pursue opportunities that will help them lead independent lives and contribute to our nation's prosperity. I believe that people with disabilities and special needs have as much right to conduct their lives in as normal a manner as possible, and it is only appropriate that they are accorded the support that enables them to do so."

Abdulrazak Ahmed Rashid, HR manager, UAE Disabled Sports Federation, said:

"We are highly grateful to wasl for supporting our initiative. Our organization works very hard to ensure that members with special needs are able to successfully integrate themselves into the society and enjoy their rightful privileges. It gives us enormous satisfaction and motivation when other organizations step forward and extend a compassionate hand that allows our members to participate in everyday life with dignity."

The UAE Disabled Sports Federation was established in 1996 to facilitate accessibility for disabled sportsmen and women to adequate training and training facilities, and to assist in the organization and logistics of these athletes' participation in local, regional and international sports tournaments and social endeavors.

As part of its commitment to being a socially responsible corporation, wasl's sponsorship comes as part of a series of community enhancing initiatives, which in the past have included the sponsorship of a group of students at the The Young Entrepreneur Competition during the UAE's largest national job fair, Careers UAE 2008.

Pursuing the same ethos, wasl has also established an agreement with the Mohammed bin Rashid Establishment for Young Business Leaders to offer its members 20% discount on all leased commercial premises owned by wasl.