'Swim for Sight'

The event provided an interactive platform to educate local communities on the impact of diabetes and the importance of exercise in the prevention of avoidable blindness as part of its global 'Seeing is Believing' programme.

Shayne Nelson, Regional CEO of Standard Chartered for the Middle East and North Africa was joined by Mr Ahmed Al Kamali, Chairman of the UAE Athletics Federation to officially inaugurate the event for over 100 Bank employees and their children and children from The Rashid Pediatric Therapy Centre.

"We believe that Standard Chartered can continue to be a force for good in the sustainability arena by leading by example in educating and promoting regular exercise as a means of preventing avoidable blindness," said Shayne Nelson, Regional CEO, MENA.

"Swim for Sight is a fun initiative that fully supports our global 'Seeing in Believing' programme. I am delighted that the UAE Athletics Federation is also committed to supporting this community initiative. In the current global economic uncertainty it would be easy to lose sight of the importance of such community events, however, Standard Chartered is very well capitalised and strongly positioned in this market."

In the UAE and across the region, diabetes is the main cause of preventable blindness.

The Government of Dubai has made health and education a top priority and recently announced full support of such initiatives in 2009.

Standard Chartered has been celebrating World Sight Day since 2003 when it launched a Group Wide Community Initiative, 'Seeing is Believing' to raise awareness on avoidable blindness, which has resorted the sight of more than 1 million people since its inception.