Forum leads to knowledge exchange

Seoul: The 10-day Saudi-Korea Youth Forum that concluded yesterday with the participation of 26 Saudi university students and young professionals was instrumental in facilitating knowledge exchange and strengthening relations between the two countries.
The forum was arranged to promote Saudi youth relations with other nations around the world and provide them with a significant opportunity to exchange and interact with the youths of other countries, said Saudi Ambassador to Seoul Ahmad Younos Al-Barrak.
While a group of South Korean university students spend time with young Saudi men and women, hopes are high that real knowledge exchange opportunities will be created, said The Korea Times in a report.
The forum focused on telecommunications, information and technology. The program includes visits to the Ministry of Knowledge Economy, the Korea Development Institute, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Samsung Electronics in Suwon, Digital Media City, Korean Communication Commission, Ministry of Education and the SK Group.
The ambassador said: “The theme of the forum, ‘Knowledge-Based Economy, Smart Cities, Broadband and e-Education’, well reflects the Kingdom’s priority in the development of fast changing high technology as a prerequisite for survival in the 21st century.
“Indeed, the Republic of Korea is among the world’s leaders in these fields, and it’s important to benefit from Korea’s experiences in the field of ICT and the knowledge-based economy.”
Saudi Arabia has the world’s largest oil reserves, and is the largest exporter of oil and oil products.
Revenues from oil sales account for nearly 80 percent of its annual national budget and 90 percent of total export earnings.
The Kingdom was using its oil revenue mainly to promote education and boost scientific and technological development.
After Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah ascended the throne, the number of public universities in the Kingdom rose from seven to 25.
The king initiated in 2009 the opening of the nation’s biggest university, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Thuwal, with the aim of recruiting the best students and teachers from around the world.
He was also behind the Princess Nora bint Abdulrahman University in Riyadh, the largest women-only university in the world with a capacity of 50,000 students.
King Abdullah also initiated dialogue among the Saudis and between Saudis and other nations.
The youth forum is part of that initiative.
At the end of the forum, participants will write a letter to King Abdullah, President Lee Myung-bak and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon reporting their experiences.
Al-Barrak was optimistic about the forum’s impact on both Saudi and Korean students.
“I have a great conviction that the forum will leave these youths with unforgettable memories and further hopes to build bilateral cooperative youth relations.”
The youth forum is a small window into the half-century old relations between South Korea and Saudi Arabia.
Commerce provides the backbone of the bridge between the two nations, with Korea importing Saudi petroleum and the Koreans exporting consumer goods to the Kingdom.
Al-Barrak said the value of bilateral trade jumped from $ 4.1 billion in 1991 to $ 31.3 billion in 2010 and to $ 44 billion in 2011.
Saudi Arabia is South Korea’s 4th largest trading partner, he added.
He said: “South Korea was the guest of honor at the 27th Janadriyah Heritage and Culture Festival and its president attended the festival’s opening ceremony.”
The Korean participation in the festival had left positive memories in the minds of Saudis, he added.
The launch of the Korea-Arab Society has increasingly played an important role in diversifying oil-dominated bilateral relations.
The non-profit organization has invited artists, musicians and dance teams from Saudi Arabia and organized lectures and exhibitions.
The first Arab Cultural Festival took place five years ago, and this year’s event took place earlier this month in connection with the World Tourism Fair in Seoul.
The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs has initiated a program to promote Saudi youth relations with nations around the world.
The Saudi Korean Youth Forum is the fifth initiative promoting youth diplomacy.The Saudi youths had earlier visited China, Brazil, Germany and India.
The delegation was headed by Dr. Yousef Al-Saadoun, deputy minister of foreign affairs for economic and cultural affairs.
It included students from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals in Dhahran, King Saud University Riyadh, King Abdulaziz University Jeddah, University of Al-Yamamah, King Faisal School, Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic University, London School of Economics, University of Prince Mohammed bin Fahd and Dar Al-Hekma College.
The Saudi Embassy in Seoul, meanwhile, opened a register for Saudi youths taking part in the forum to pledge their allegiance to Crown Prince Salman, deputy premier and minister of defense. Al-Saadoun and Al-Barrak congratulated Prince Salman and wished every success for him.