DUBAI- The Sustainable City in Dubai has revealed 'Sanad Village', the world’s first and largest rehabilitation and education centre for People of Determination (people with disabilities).

Details about the Sanad Village will be announced during the Sustainable City's participation in the AccessAbilities Expo, held from 5th-7th November at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

The AccessAbilities Expo aims to encourage and motivate companies to accommodate the specific needs of People of Determination by offering custom services to suit their needs. The exhibition derives from the UAE's vision of establishing an inclusive and compassionate society.

Sanad Village is being built on a total area of 32,000 square metres, with a construction area of 19,000 square metres, and construction cost exceeding AED200 million. It currently employs 320 highly trained and qualified professionals from nations around the world, who will be taking care of 395 People of Determination.

Commenting on the new project, Faris Saeed, Founder and CEO of Diamond Developers, developer of the Sustainable City in Dubai, said, "Through Sanad Village, we want to assure that the Sustainable City continues with its plans to evolve into a complete society that provides the UAE and the world with innovative ideas, not only on different aspects of sustainability, but also the initiatives and projects that target all segments of a society and its different needs. He added, "Sanad Village is a great example that shows our commitment towards supporting Dubai’s strategy for People of Determination and contribute towards achieving the Emirate’s vision. Collaboratively, we aim to create a society that accommodates and supports People of Determination when it comes to education, health and social aspects, in addition to securing job training and employment opportunities." In turn, Dr. Muhannad Fraihat, Founder and President of Sanad Village, stated that Dubai is a pioneer in launching outstanding projects and "it is for this reason that we choose Dubai as the home to Sanad Village, which is going to be the largest rehabilitation centre for People of Determination in the world.

AccessAbilities Expo is a valuable opportunity for us to showcase our vision and mission to help People of Determination overcome various challenges, and enable their integration into the wider community." Sanad Village seeks to become an advanced model - the first of its kind capable of providing support, training and rehabilitation services through evidence base, results-driven, and scientifically proven methods.

It also offers services of excellence in Applied Behavioural Analysis therapy, Speech Therapy, Physiotherapy, Occupational therapy, Vocational Training, and Life Skills Training. As an extension of services provided, a team of experts specialised in organising workshops and educational classes, will train families and members of the community on how to care for and interrelate with People of Determination.

Dr. Fraihat added, "The centre will provide full simulations of external environments so that People of Determination can learn life skills within a sensory-friendly setting. We have coordinated with several governmental and private organizations to create these real-world settings within Sanad Village. We will create streets and add traffic lights and real means of transportation to guide People of Determination through everyday circumstances.

The Village will provide luxurious residential amenities and clinical support 24 hours a day, and is scheduled to be fully operational next month." Sanad Village, he said, is self-sufficient, and will be providing several facilities such as a miniature shopping complex, supermarket, cinema, restaurants, barbershop and hair salon, a police station to increase the security of the community, airport services training and an aircraft model provided by the aviation authority and much more. These facilities will transform Sanad Village into an integrated world that allows People of Determination to practice, in a safe space, all forms of activities and daily life situations.

© Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2019.