Beach Rotana is proud to announce that it partnered up with the Emirates Autism Center in Abu Dhabi. The long-term partnership covers several areas and actively involves the hotel’s staff in a number of undertakings.

The EAC was founded by Amal Sabry in 2007 as a result of her own experiences with her autistic son. The center is specialized in autism spectrum disorders and open all year round for research, therapeutic programs and inclusion activities. Apart from raising awareness and understanding, the main goal is to offer high quality teaching and care to empower the students to fully participate in community inclusion programmes. The center’s founder and staff members are determined “to boost the quality of life for individuals with autism and their families. We aim to achieve the maximum level of independence possible for each student.”

Beach Rotana planned a range of activities to support the EAC and involve as many colleagues of the hotel population as possible. One of the most crucial shortcomings at the center needed to be taken care of urgently: Painting of the entire villa. However, the private organization does not dispose of fixed financial means and therefore relies on support from the community. Therefore, Rotana’s flagship property arrived on site last weekend with 27 colleagues from various departments who happily volunteered to paint the entire villa from the top to the ground floor and fence to give it a fresh and beautiful new look. Part of the funds for the materials came from a flea market held last year which the hotel initiated for the staff in order “to reuse, reduce, recycle”. In addition, a number of presents with educational toys were purchased and will be handed over by hotel colleagues next week when visiting the students in their newly painted classrooms.

One of the key successes of the EAC is the fact that more than half of their 50 students currently are successfully integrated in mainstream schools. Six students between the age of 15 and 17 are training for workplace inclusion in partnership with companies – of which Beach Rotana is one and offered spots for three young gentlemen who are currently being trained in the pastry kitchen and Food & Beverage department.