The World Airlines Clubs Association (WACA) Council visited the Scent of Colours "Abaq Laon" project in Amman, Jordan, on October 4 2023, during its Annual General Assembly held in Amman from 1–6 October. 

The project enables visually impaired children to paint by identifying colours through smell. Every colour is given a smell to help them identify, such as apples and cherries for red, lemon for yellow, cinnamon for brown, mint for green and so on. 

The initiative was established in 2012  for students from The Royal Academy of the Blind, by Suheil Baqaeen, a member of WACA and the Jordan Interline Club, where he was President from 2018/19. He had been volunteering for the Academy since 2012. In 2018, he set up the Scent of Colours in a rented house, called it Darat (house), in an art community called Al-Weibdeh that is regarded as the soul of Amman. He was president of the association for this community. He left Middle East Airlines in 2005 after 25 years of service. In recognition of his work with the blind, he was appointed as the WACA Ambassador for Blind Children at the Cannes Assembly in 2016 and was also decorated by the King of Jordan for his work with the blind.

The centre received national prominence when it received a visit from the Crown Prince of Jordan and his fiancée. The students have participated in many exhibitions throughout the world such as the Visual Disabilities Exhibition in Cannes. 

At the end of the visit by the WACA Council members, the students presented them with a painting of an aircraft and the words ‘WACA 2023’. 

Suheil is an Abstract Artist, with several art community projects, besides Scent of Colours, such as the Walk-in Gallery and as Art Director of the Touring Museum.

He announced his new project is to make the world’s largest canvas mural and new scented colours. 

WACA has pledged to continue supporting his project. Those who would like to support this initiative can contact Suheil at sbaqaeen@yahoo.com.