JEDDAH, 18 December 2005 — Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah met yesterday with the participants of the 5th National Dialogue Forum “Us and Others” that took place in Abha last week in order to review the results of the dialogue.

Sheikh Saleh Al-Hosayen, the head of the King Abdul Aziz National Dialogue Center, began the opening speech by summarizing what was discussed at the forum, whose purpose was to address how Saudis should engage outsiders politically, economically and culturally.

“Our meeting with the king lasted two hours,” said Rashed Al-Rajeh, vice president of the center.

Al-Rajeh said that the center established a follow-up committee to ensure implementation of the forum’s recommendations. He explained that participants from different sectors of Saudi society had been chosen to address the king. Those chosen were: Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Humayed, Abdul Aziz Kamel, Sheikh Hasan Al-Nimer and Yahya Al-Mansour; and representing the women’s side were: Dr. Hayat Sindi, Omaima Al-Khumayes and Asma Al-Rowaished.

For the first time the National Dialogue Forum was televised across the Kingdom. According to Al-Rajeh, the king said that even if nothing else came from the forum, it was admirable that it had reached every house in Saudi Arabia.

All the participants — both men and women — were present, though the women’s participation was on closed-circuit television. After the speeches had been made, the king met the women in person and talked to them.

Sheikh Al-Nimer from the Eastern Province said in his speech before the king that national unity could only be achieved after a realization of the diversity within the country. He said that all Saudis, no matter what their similarities or differences, belonged to the country.

Dr. Sindi, one of the three women speakers, emphasized the role of Saudi women abroad in helping bridge cultural gaps with outsiders. She went on to describe her efforts to alter the stereotype of Saudi women. She said that establishing the King Abdul Aziz National Dialogue Center had played an important role in encouraging dialogue among Saudis, and she thanked the king for giving women a chance to participate.

Dr. Sindi asked King Abdullah to give women more chances inside the Kingdom even though her own success had been achieved on her own outside the Kingdom.

“I asked the king to transform our recommendations into practical reality,” said Yahya Al-Mansour from Najran. He explained that it would be useless if all that had been discussed and recommended ended up being kept in locked drawers, out of sight and out of mind. He said that even if only two percent of the recommendations were implemented, that would be fair enough.

Al-Mansour also stressed the importance of the meetings being televised live. According to him, that had a great impact in seeing that “our internal differences are a source of strength as we move to a more prominent position in the international arena.”