Under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz and French President Nicolas Sarkozy, the Saudi Ministry of Higher Education, in partnership with the Sorbonne University, organized the Second Saudi Forum on the Dialogue of Civilizations in Paris on March 15-16. Participants reviewed various issues, including the promotion of dialogue between civilizations, the Islamic economy and the importance of culture and identity. A number of distinguished academics and researchers from Saudi and French universities attended the event.

Also on Monday, Makkah Governor Prince Khalid Al-Faisal, President of the Arab Thought Foundation, and Irina Bokova, Director General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), oversaw the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation between their organizations at UNESCO headquarters in Paris. In addition, Prince Khalid attended a symposium entitled “The Role of Civil Society Institutions in Rapprochement of Cultures” held by the Arab Thought Foundation at UNESCO headquarters.