JEDDAH, 12 September 2005 — Preparations for the fifth national dialogue forum have been stepped up with Saleh Al-Hussayen, chairman of the King Abdul Aziz National Dialogue Center, announcing a series of mini-forums in different parts of the country ahead of the main forum in Abha in December.
In a statement yesterday, Al-Hussayen emphasized the significance of dialogue as the best and shortest way to reach out to others as well as to strengthen national unity. He said five preparatory sessions will be held in various locations in the coming three months with the participation of a large number of academics, scholars and businessmen.
Al-Hussayen commended the Saudi leadership for its continuous support to the forums in order to promote a culture of dialogue in the country. He said the first preparatory meeting would be held in Hail on Sept. 14, the second in Qasim on Sept. 17, the third in Makkah on Sept. 20, the fourth in Dammam on Oct. 1 and the last in Riyadh on Nov. 17.
Preparatory meetings have already been held in Tabuk, Al-Jouf, the Northern Border Region, Madinah, Najran, Jizan and Baha. The Abha forum aims at creating awareness of world civilizations and cultures and their varying roles in human development.
An information database of more than 60,000 male and female applicants has been established. Any citizen interested in attending the forum can register at the center’s website: www.nationaldialoge.org.sa.
According to Faisal ibn Muammar, the secretary-general of the King Abdul Aziz Center, 90 percent of the participants were chosen after reviewing their applications on the website. “It is important that we choose participants from different backgrounds to ensure a healthy dialogue. The participants were chosen from the government and private sector and include businessmen and women as well as the unemployed,” he said.
“The discussions will be based on religion, politics, economy and culture. They will emphasize the importance of diminishing racial discrimination and encouraging cultural diversity,” Muammar said.
