Riyadh: Several institutions from Saudi Arabia, Austria, other Arab countries and Europe have teamed together to organize a high-profile “Arab-European Young Leaders Forum.”
Several institutions from Saudi Arabia, Austria, other Arab countries and Europe have teamed together to organize a high-profile “Arab-European Young Leaders Forum.”
The first-of-its-kind event, involving young Arab and European leaders and professionals, is to be held to promote responsible leadership, mutual understanding and friendship.
The five-day event will begin on Nov. 23 in Vienna under the patronage and sponsorship of Austria’s Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs.
Austrian Ambassador Johannes Wimmer said the forum will bring together young professionals aged 25 to 40 who will deliberate on finding viable solutions to the political, economic and social challenges of modern times.
Wimmer also gave an overview of the progressively growing Saudi-Austrian relations while welcoming the Kingdom’s announcement for establishing the King Abdullah Center for Interfaith Dialogue in Vienna.
The Riyadh-based King Abdulaziz Center for National Dialogue (KACND), an apex Saudi governmental institution with a mandate to promote dialogue among people of diverse faiths and cultures, will participate in the Vienna forum, said KACND spokeman.
Some Saudi participants are to leave for Austria to join other young professionals and social activists from different geographical areas to take social responsibility beyond their professional roles and boundaries, he added.
Another major organization supporting the forum is the OPEC Fund for international Development of which Saidi Arabia is a prominent member country.The OPEC fund has also given a grant to support the Arab-European event that will be held from Nov. 24 to 27.
A key aim of the forum is to doster “mutual understanding and enhance cross-cultural and regional cooperation,” said Wimmer, while referring to successful Austrian initiatives, such as the confersnce of European imams hosted by Vienna in May this year.
Reffering to the integration and participation of Muslims that remains one of the key challenges for both Austrian and Europe over the coming years, Wimmer said that “it was essential to have sustainable networks among people from all across the regions including the Arab world to learn and experiance the diversity of approaches and perspectives, problem-solving capacities and solution.”
There is an urgent need to ensure that these personal contacts are translated into institutional cooperation on the ground and into sustainable exchange, he added.
Hence, this Arab-European Forum, a joint initiative of the BMW Stiftung Herbert Quandt, the Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs in cooperation with the League of Arab States, Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries, will focus on “Responsible Leadership- Innovative Fourm of Cross-Cultural Cooperation,” he explained.
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