Intellectual debate to promote dialogue

The King Abdul Aziz Center for National Dialogue (KACND) has concluded a series of dialogues across the Kingdom attended by 500 top Saudi scholars and professionals representing various groups and communities.
The forums seek to promote Saudi cultural unity. The organizer said the event discussed issues involving institutions and stakeholders in the cultural and thought processes.
They also dealt with contemporary developments experienced by the community and ways of changing old perceptions in order to meet the challenges at the international and regional levels so as to strengthen the cultural identity of the community.
Recently there have been calls for a review of the Saudi cultural discourse in a new direction for creating an intellectual climate within the framework of national responsibility.
The goal is to get cultural projects, inspired by all Saudi cultural variables, within the domestic framework of the international dimension.
The forums also called for multiple voices in the cultural arena needed to determine the future of the Saudi cultural discourse based on moderation and tolerance in Islam.
Participants said that the cultural scene has recently witnessed many conflicts among stakeholders with different cultural backgrounds in intellectual debates. This intellectual bickering has spilled over into society through the conventional and social media.