A lively discussion focusing on Twitter and its various functions took place last night at the first Saudi tweeters’ forum at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Riyadh. Plans are for this event to be held annually.

“The Saudi tweeters’ forum was attended by 400-plus participants and was alive with vibrant enthusiasm for the great possibilities of Twitter, both as a commercial venture and as an interpersonal means of communication,” said Razan Al-Mosa, one of the event’s organizers.

She said that Twitter is a vital means of communication. “It will not only affect day-to-day Saudi life through communication but also as a vehicle for the transmission of knowledge,” she said.

Al-Mosa noted that the participants reacted positively to the various topics discussed by the speakers. These included privacy on Twitter, the commercial use of Twitter, and the positive use of Twitter in the media, among others.

She said the forum, held under the auspices of the Prince Muhammad bin Salman Philanthropist Foundation, came on the heels of the opening of a Twitter account recently by Crown Prince Salman, deputy premier and minister of defense. She said that Prince Salman’s opening of a Twitter account also drew positive reaction from Saudis.

She noted that the majority of Saudi tweeters are in Riyadh, making it one of the top tweeting cities in the world.

Based on a French study published in July 2012, Saudi tweeters numbered 2.9 million and the growth rate was 93 percent. The positive use of Twitter was discussed by Fahad Al-Faheed, Salaah Al-Geedan, and Abdullah Al-Modeafer. Twitter privacy was handled by Abdulaziz Al-Shaattar, Bandar Al-Nogethan, Sultan Al-Malek, and Waleed Smom. A panel on the commercial use of Twitter was composed of Ahmad Al-Jebreen, Mazen Al-Darrab, Yazeed Al-Taweel and Faris Al-Moteery. Abdullah Al-Maglooth, Faeq Moneaf talked about the positive use of Twitter.