“The two-day cultural discourse aims at reaching a moderate national dialogue on the topic,” said Faisal Bin Muammar, secretary-general of KACND. He said the Jeddah forum was a follow-up cultural discourses held in Ahsa and Riyadh.
The Ahsa forum was held under the theme “The Saudi Cultural Discourse and its Future Horizons" while the Riyadh forum was entitled "Identity and Globalization in the Cultural Discourse."
Bin Muammar said the Jeddah meeting would tackle many pressing issues such as tribal and regional discrimination and intellectual classifications, as well as their negative impact on national unity.
The Jeddah forum will bring together 70 intellectual and educated Saudis from all different cultural and intellectual spectrums. The Saudi Cultural Discourse, initiated by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, has won international reputation.
In a previous statement, King Abdullah stressed the important role being played by the KANDC in deepening the values of love, tolerance and dialogue in Saudi society. “These values are based on Islamic teachings that call for moderation and brotherhood,” the king said while meeting with the president and members of the center’s higher committee.
“Dialogue is vital for human progress because it is the torch that enlightens our minds, strengthens faith and deepens moral values,” the Saudi Press Agency quoted the king as saying.
He said the KANDC is a platform for all Saudis to present their viewpoints and conduct constructive dialogue on pressing issues facing the country.
“The outcome of such dialogues contributes to the development and modernization of the country,” the king said, adding that the public and private sectors should cooperate with the center and make use of the conclusions reached at national dialogue forums.
