RIYADH, 20 April 2008 — Conveying the pulse of the Saudi street to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah is one of the main purposes of the King Abdulaziz Center for National Dialogue, Faisal ibn Muammar, secretary-general of the center, said here yesterday.
“King Abdullah has given us a great responsibility and the national duty of conveying to the leadership the pulse of the street, as well as bringing different points of views closer,” Muammar said.
The Seventh National Forum for Dialogue, under the theme “Labor Sectors and Employment: A Dialogue Between Society and Labor Institutions,” will be held in Buraidah, Qassim province, on Tuesday and Wednesday.
For the first time, two ministers are expected to attend the national forum. Labor Minister Ghazi Al-Gosaibi and Minister of Civil Services Muhammad Al-Fayez will participate in discussions from the government side along with about 60 men and women academics, thinkers, business executives and members of chambers of commerce.
Some of the hot topics to be discussed are: employment of women, labor regulations, the reality of employment, joblessness and areas to boost cooperation between the public and private sectors.
Addressing members of the press ahead of the forum, Muammar said the center has succeeded in spreading the culture of dialogue among all segments of Saudi society.
“The idea of establishing a national center for dialogue, which has been supported by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, is the biggest project of its kind in the Islamic world,” Muammar said.
“These meetings have proved that no matter how extreme an idea may be it can be dealt with through meaningful dialogue in the context of national unity, which is the basis for the nation,” he said. “National unity is the lifeguard for the nation when ideologies and people’s interest are mixed.”
Commenting on the upcoming national forum, Muammar said it was a great opportunity for government officials in the labor sector to listen first hand to the problems of employment from the participants.
Regarding women’s employment, the secretary-general said participants would discuss with government officials the difficulties faced by Saudi women in the labor sector, as well as new areas for women’s employment conforming to Islamic norms.
Saudization (the state policy of phasing in Saudis to replace foreign workers) and unemployment in Saudi Arabia are among other topics to be discussed.
Recommendations of every national forum are submitted to King Abdullah. The king also meets participants after each national forum is concluded.
In June 2003, the King Abdul Aziz Library witnessed the convening of the first national dialogue meeting, the National Forum for Dialogue. A year later, the center’s headquarters was built in the capital.
Realizing the importance of national dialogue and the challenges that affect national unity and prosperity on both the domestic and international levels, King Abdullah (then the crown prince) announced the establishment of the King Abdulaziz Center for National Dialogue on Aug. 3, 2003, in a live televised speech to the nation.
“I have no doubt the center and the continuation of dialogue under its auspices is a historic achievement that will secure a channel for the responsible expression of opinion. This, in turn, will have an impact on the fight against extremism and provide an atmosphere where considered views and new ideas that reject terrorism and extremist thought can emerge,” King Abdullah said in his announcement speech.
Despite the fact that the first and second national forums were closed to the media, organizers later gave in to public pressure and allowed the Saudi press to attend preparatory sessions and the main forum starting from the third forum held in Madinah on June 12, 2004.
