Arab Thought Foundation

The Arab Thought Foundation (Al-Fikr AlArabi) is an international, independent and non-governmental organization founded in 2001 with a guiding mission to help advance the economic, social and cultural development of the Arab region.[1] There are some who view it as an initiative that seeks to portray a positive image of Islam in the west and to promote the political evolution in the Middle East.[2]

There are also those who recognize the foundation's role in advancing cultural dialogue[3] and this is demonstrated in its position that open and constructive dialogue between the business community, academic, and civil society is imperative for the future development of the region. By sharing knowledge, nurturing creativity and building on this dialogue, practical solutions for the collective future of the Arab people can be forged.

The founders of the organization are Prince Khalid bin Faisal Al Saud and his son Bandar bin Khalid Al Saud. The former also serves as the current chairman of the organization.

Activities

To fulfill its mission, the Arab Thought Foundation hosts a program of events and youth-orientated initiatives throughout the year, covering various disciplines such as education, arts, culture, science, and technology.[4] Central to the Foundation’s program is the celebrated FIKR gathering, an annual event providing a unique platform for ideas exchange and creative thinking.[5] FIKR is the cross-sector and cross-cultural gathering in the Arab world, bringing together a diverse community of senior academics, business leaders, representatives from civil society and most importantly, Arab youth - the future of the region.

The Arab Thought Foundation also has many culture-focused units, which carry out intellectual, cultural, and social initiatives in the Arab world. These include the Culture Dialogue Unit and the Translation Unit. The latter engages in book/text translation from and into Arabic as well as joint cultural projects with other countries.[3] Some observers note that the academic component appears to be a facade for cultural diplomacy, which could be motivated by political concerns.[6] Regardless of the goal, aside from its educational and cultural initiatives, the foundation was able to drive many Saudis to establish publishing houses and research centers within and outside Saudi Arabia.[6]

Objectives

The objectives of the organization include:

  • Assembling intelligent and insightful Arab business leaders to discuss local and global challenges.
  • Determining how Arab executives are developing innovative solutions to the complex challenges in the areas of growth.
  • Questioning the assembled leaders as to how they are balancing the responsibilities to society while building a successful business.
  • Raising awareness of the values, policies and business practices of the Arab cultures, and their impact on the global market.
  • Continuing to be recognized as the premiere conference in the Arab region.
  • Offering program content that is stimulating, timely and meaningful, particularly for members of the Arab World.
  • Fostering an exchange of information and deepening a mutual respect between Arab leaders and their non-Arab counterparts and providing value to new ideas, initiatives and relationships in order to encourage participants to be included in the future FIKR conferences.

References

  1. ↑ "NGO profile". Daleel Madani Portal. Retrieved 15 October 2014.
  2. ↑ Stenslie, Stig (2012). Regime Stability in Saudi Arabia: The Challenge of Succession. London: Routledge. p. 146. ISBN 9780415693349.
  3. 1 2 Al-Sarrani, Abeer Abdulaziz (2015). Harriet Beecher Stowe's "Uncle Tom's Cabin" in Arabic: Challenges of Cross-Cultural Translation. Universal Publishers. p. 112. ISBN 9781612334387.
  4. ↑ "ATF Title". www.arabthought.org. Retrieved 2018-06-27.
  5. ↑ "FIKR Conferences". fikrconferences.org. Retrieved 2018-06-27.
  6. 1 2 Vignal, Leila (2016). The Transnational Middle East: People, Places, Borders. London: Routledge. p. 208. ISBN 9781138690899.
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