b'SECTION REPORTSSection XMIDDLE EASTSection X Middle East held its first induction ceremony post-pandemic, welcoming nine new Fellows from three countries.Presidents GreetingRegistrars Reportmembers of the dental community, Nassir Alhamlan Anthony Macari butwillalsobuildasenseof belonging and togetherness within Our Section has been a key playerour group.in promoting dental care and edu- Annual Business Meeting cation throughout the Middle EastReportsoftheSectionsplans, and beyond for the past 60 years.membershipdifficultiesandfinan-Ourcommitmenttoexcellenceiscial reports were presented at our embodied by our current Presidentannual business meeting on Feb. 1, Emeritus who served as President2023. We now have 81 active Fel-of the College at large in the 1980s.lows and a total of 99 members, in-Thisextensiverecordofinvolve- cluding Life and Honorary Fellows. mentdemonstratesourongoing TMiddleEastSectioniscommitment to the advancement ofOur decline in membership is attrib-hedentistry. utable to the pandemic as well as to going through a time of rebirthLebanons unprecedented econom-and, hopefully, changing forOur First Induction Ceremony ic hardship. The handing-over cere-the better. It will be my privilege tomony was also part of the meeting, workwithitsdedicatedofficerstoFollowing the COVID-19 pandemic,with outgoing 2022-2023 President leadtheSectionoutofprobationSection X successfully organized itsNadimAboujaoudehandingthe bycontinuingtoinvitededicatedfirst induction ceremony. The eventpresidency over to the new 2023-and deserving professionals to jointook place in December 2022 and2024 President Nassir Alhamlan.the Section as Fellows. My aim iswasattendedbythePresidentof tohaveFellowsfrommostofthetheLebaneseDentalAssociation,Annual Scientific Meetingcountries of the Section who will bethedeansofthedentalschools, unified in their desire to serve.dental colleagues, ICD Fellows andThe annual scientific meeting was NumerouspeopleinourSec- guests.Wewelcomedninenewheld in October 2022 as part of a tion need help and we must do ourFellows from three countries. meeting of the Lebanese Dental As-best to give them support. Many ofSectionXisproudofitssociation. Our Section had a morn-ourFellows,whoareoutstandinginvolvement in the establishment ofingsessionduringwhichourFel-professionals,willbeencouragednew Districts in our Region, includinglows delivered an interactive course to follow the principles of our found- those in Egypt and Sudan. We arethat was well attended. As part of ers and lead the way to educate thethe meeting, 18 of our Fellows gave rest. We achieve this through con- scheduling induction ceremonies inscientific presentations.tinuingeducationlecturesinstudyboth Districts of Section X this year club meetings, in the meetings of theaspartofourcontinuousgrowthSectionXhasalsobeenapio-Section, and in our countrys dentalefforts.Theseceremonieswillneerinpromotingscientificstudy association national meetings.notonlyrecognizenewdeservingclubs that provide a place for our 2 2 J OURNAL OF THEI NTERNATIONALC OLLEGE OFD ENTISTS'