Addressing ATF’s annual conference here, he commended the innovative initiatives made by Arabs in various fields that include modern technology.

Prince Khaled also emphasized the importance of interfaith and cultural dialogue initiated by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah.

Lebanese President Michel Suleiman opened the conference in the presence of Prime Minister Saad Hariri, Speaker Nabih Berri and other senior officials.

“We have decided to hold this conference in Lebanon to express our solidarity with the country and with the hope that Lebanon would be able to overcome its present difficulties and achieve national unity,” Prince Khaled said.

Speaking about Arabs’ role in civilization, the prince said: “Arabs have an important role to play in planning the world’s future in the light of its role in the past.” Different nations play leading roles in civilization in different phases of history.

President Suleiman thanked Prince Khaled for selecting Beirut to be the headquarters of ATF. “It reflects Lebanon’s efforts in the service of Arab culture,” he said. Prince Khaled also presented a memento to the president.

The Fikr 9 conference is held under the main theme “Shaping the future… Arabs’ role.” It brings together entrepreneurs, decision-makers, academics and intellectuals to discuss new ways of ‘making sense’ and ‘taking action’ to shape the Arab future throughout the region. New possibilities are emerging from a variety of countries, people, technologies and methods that contain early seeds of potential for significant transformation throughout the region. “These early seeds are the seeds of new capacities and communities enabled by: creativity, community, entrepreneurship and education,” said an official statement issued by the foundation.

Key to Fikr’s vision is to bring to light some of these early seeds of change and help nurture them to a greater scale, the statement said.

To that end, Fikr 9 seeks to begin building a community of capacity transformation throughout the region, bringing together people from a wide range of experiences, professions and ages to share their lessons on such capacity building through which the region will be transformed.

Speakers include Yousuf bin Alawi Abdullah, Omani foreign minister, Mohamed Al-Suwaiyel, president of the King Abdulaziz City of Science and Technology, Nadhmi Al-Nasr, executive vice president of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, and Dr. Elizabeth Murray, project manager, MIT Blossoms Initiative.

Professor Rakesh (Raj) Bhala of University of Kansas, School of Law, Salma Al-Hajjaj, director of Center for Leadership Development, Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, Abdulaziz Alnaim, chairman of Yareem Companies, Saudi Arabia, Sanabel Al-Salhi, education consultant, Jordan, and Fahd Al-Nahdi, founder of Yalla, Qatar will also address the conference.