The first Saudi retina conference for subspecialties in ophthalmology began on Saturday at the King Saud bin Abdul Aziz University for Health Sciences in Riyadh.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by Dr. Bandar bin Abdulmohsen Al-Knawy, executive director of health affairs at the Ministry of the National Guard and president of King Saud bin Abdul Aziz University for Health Sciences.

Al-Knawy said that retinal disorders due to diabetes were one of the most common causes of blindness in the Kingdom: “Such conferences help to develop precise mechanisms for the prevention and treatment of blindness.”

Al-Knawy stressed that the organization of this conference reflects the ministry’s eagerness to keep abreast of developments and its role in the medical community.

Dr. Tareq bin Mubarak Al-Debasi, head of the ophthalmology department at King Abdul Aziz Medical City, said that it was the first conference for subspecialties in ophthalmology in the Kingdom.

“The two-day conference will host top-notch speakers and specialists in the field of retina medicine and surgery from the US, Europe, the Middle East, as well as Saudi experts,” he said.