Under the generous patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Saud bin Nayef bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Governor of the Eastern Province - may God protect him - Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, represented by the College of Arts, organized a workshop entitled (Serving the History of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Arabian Gulf). It was arranged with the cooperation of King Abdulaziz Darah and the support of Abdulaziz Al-Babtain Cultural Foundation. It was attended by His Excellency, Dr. Fahd bin Abdullah Al-Samari, the Acting Secretary-General of Kind Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives (Darah), and other several officials in the Darah, including participants and speakers.
The workshop was opened with a speech by His Excellency the President of the University, Dr. Abdullah bin Muhammad Al-Rubaish, who at the beginning of his speech thanked His Royal Highness Prince Saud bin Nayef bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Governor of the Eastern Province, for his generous patronage and support.
In his speech, His Excellency also emphasized on the importance of the attention paid by the wise leadership to the history of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its national heritage in making it a priority in the objectives of the Kingdom's Vision 2030. In addition, Dr. Al-Rubaish indicated that concentrating on the historical heritage of the region and conducting research and scientific studies in this field, will raise awareness on preserving: the national heritage and history, the authenticity of belonging, and the passion for researching, monitoring, maintaining, and documenting the treasures of history. Moreover, His Excellency clarified that this meeting is the first cooperation between the University and King Abdulaziz Darah, as the University is keen in expanding the scope of its partnerships with various leading entities and in creating strategic integration that has an impact on cultural and historical initiatives within an academic framework which ensures the achievement of the shared goals.
Further, the Dean of the College of Arts, Dr. Mashael bint Ali Al-Akli, stated that this partnership is a strategic step in documenting, preserving, and publishing the history of the region. It has a vital role in consolidating its national and international status scientifically through benefiting from the scientific expertise of the academic staff in the Department of History regarding the history of the Eastern province of the Kingdom and the Arabian Gulf, for the purpose of preserving, developing, and spreading this ancient history.
The workshop included a dialogue session that covered five main topics, namely:
- The Scientific Value of the History of the Eastern Province in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Arabian Gulf
- Activating the Community Partnership Between King Abdulaziz Darah and Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University
- Supporting Scientific Research and Specialized Studies
- The Interactive Participations Between the Program and Relevant Sectors
- The Effective Cooperation with Specialists, Stakeholders, and Society
The workshop was concluded with recommendations that included several initiatives, proposals, and ideas, which will contribute to achieving the desired goals.
