“The relation between the two countries has to move further focusing on human resources rather than material resources,” said Toshiaki Koizumi, a member of the House of Representatives.
He made this comment while presenting a paper on “Saudi Arabia and Japan: A Dialogue for Future,” at a seminar that was held on the sidelines of Tokyo International Book Fair. Koizumi said the two countries have to increase joint investment in education. Saudi Arabia is the guest of honor at the show.
Speaking on the topic “Saudi-Japan partnership relations,” Yousuf Al-Shaer, a Saudi academic, stressed the importance of in expanding joint investment in industries and facilitating visit visas to business delegations from both countries.
Dr. Abdullah Al-Tayer, Saudi cultural attaché in the UAE, spoke about “Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah’s interfaith initiative,” saying it would promote values of tolerance and moderation.
Professor Yuzo Itagaki advised the Japanese people to learn more about the Islamic civilization with the aim of understanding other cultures and rejecting the idea of clash of civilizations. “Islam is against confrontation and accepts pluralism and diversity. It’s a religion with a global outlook,” the Saudi Press Agency quoted the Japanese professor as saying.
Saudi women were also represented at the seminar. Dr. Aysha Al-Hussein spoke about women’s education in the Kingdom and highlighted the achievements of Saudi women. “Hayat Sindi, who is a Saudi woman, has been named one of the best 15 scientists in the world,” she pointed out. Dr. Ghada Al-Motairy has won the highest US medal for scientific research.
Saudi Ambassador to Japan Abdul Aziz Turkistani presented a paper on “Saudi-Japan relations from partnership to economic integration.” He said Japan is the second largest trading partner of Saudi Arabia. “Our relations have now expanded to education, culture and sports. There are 320 Saudi students in Japan. Saudi universities have signed cooperation agreements with their counterparts in Japan,” he explained.
Abdul Mohsen Al-Sumaih, director of King Abdullah Cultural Dialogue Center, called for the establishment of research chairs at Saudi and Japanese universities. He also called for the exchange of students and university professors, with each country receiving 50 students of the other country every year. Fahd Al-Aboud spoke about the role of universities in creating a knowledge-based economy, stressing the importance of establishing more science and technology colleges to have their impact on economy, industry and the gross national product.
Meanwhile, a large number of Japanese people visited the Saudi pavilion at the book fair and Saudi students in Japan provided them with all assistance. Many Japanese were attracted by the models of the Two Holy Mosques in Makkah and Madinah. The section for Arabic calligraphy also drew large crowds. Saudi calligrapher Ibrahim Al-Arafi wrote the names of visitors in Arabic while Japanese calligrapher Noboko Sajava wrote in Japanese.
Many visitors spent time at the Saudi traditional tent where they were served dates and Arabic coffee. The pavilion displayed 527 Saudi titles including 350 in Arabic and 110 in English and 67 in other languages.
