The First Traffic Safety Forum, organized by Saudi Aramco here, brought together regional, national and international experts in traffic safety to share success stories. Its significance was clear and urgent as it was opened by Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd Bin Abdul Aziz, Emir of the Eastern Province. The subject of the forum is important not only because it affects everyone, but also because it involves all institutions, said Abdulrahman F. Al-Wuhaib, senior Vice-President of Operations Services at Saudi Aramco. In his opening remarks, Al-Wuhaib urged participants from various organizations to promote the common goal of supporting traffic safety. Saudi Aramco is fulfilling its obligations toward society, said Dr. Abdullah Bin Mohammad Al-Rubaish, Rector of the University of Dammam. He conveyed his special thanks to Saudi Aramco for its role in organizing the forum. The forum is a priority because it has the power to save lives, he added. Meanwhile, Gen. Sulaiman Abdul Rahman Al-Ajlan, Director of the Traffic General Administration, said he looked forward to the coming years as the traffic safety forum increases awareness about traffic safety, thus reducing road accidents and saving lives. The goals of the forum included highlighting best practices in traffic safety, encouraging knowledge-sharing among various institutions and assisting in providing participants with the skills to promote traffic safety. The event brought together regional, national and international experts in traffic safety to share success stories, according to a Saudi Aramco press release. All of the key players involved in addressing traffic safety and its related problems attended the event, including delegations from the Ministry of Education, Traffic Police, Ministry of Health and others. Workshops and lectures centered on five areas, including: * Education and promotion of traffic safety, offering best practices in campaigning and methods to influence behavior. * Enforcement of traffic safety and its effects. * Traffic safety engineering, which included speakers sharing best practices about designs that minimize road accidents. * Casualty mitigation strategies for emergency services and medical care, and *Strategic planning, including successful case studies of reducing traffic accidents.
