RIYADH: Leading contemporary philosophers will gather in Riyadh for a first-of-its-kind conference at King Fahd National Library.

The three-day event between Dec. 8 to 10 will gather the renowned international and regional thinkers and institutions in Saudi Arabia for the first time to discuss the most pressing contemporary philosophical debates under the theme “unpredictability.”

The Ministry of Culture and its Literature, Publishing, and Translation Commission is organizing the conference to establish the Kingdom as a center for philosophical dialogue in the region, encouraging the advancement of scientific and academic research around philosophy, as well as encouraging interest in philosophy and its relevance to all our lives.

On the announcement of the conference, Mohamed Hassan Alwan, CEO of the commission said: “Our mission is to promote philosophy across a wide range of thinkers and bring critical philosophical debates to Saudi Arabia for the first time, promoting intercultural and interdisciplinary dialogues. We also want to introduce philosophy to members of the public who might not have had exposure to it before and promote philosophical thinking, its methods and tools, and how it can be used to empower the youth.”

The Riyadh Philosophy Conference program will cover an array of interactive plenary sessions and workshops, tackling contemporary issues that highlight how philosophy can help us understand the world we live in.

Sessions will cover “The Human Condition: Unpredictable Encounters,” and several discussions are focussed on the impact of COVID-19, including “Beyond the Global Pandemic: Responding Ethically to the Unprecedented.”

Leading philosophical thinkers from universities across the globe will be participating, including the University of Pretoria, Harvard University, The University of Turin, SOAS, Cairo University, King Saud University and many more.

The Riyadh Philosophy Conference will see over 1,500 guests per day, ranging from academics and students to cultural leaders and publishers. In addition to the curated plenary sessions, the event will also feature exhibitor stands hosted by local and international partners, and a number of experiential activations including a reading village, and children’s zone designed to instil the value of philosophical thought amongst the next generation.  

The event will be open to the public and will feature a variety of accessible lectures exploring relevant topics that will demonstrate the significance of philosophy in today’s world and show its ability to help answer key contemporary questions facing humanity.