Some 40 Saudi and British youths – boys and girls – started the one-week Saudi-British Youth Forum activities organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) here Saturday. The forum comes as part of the ‘knowing the other' initiative as agreed between Saudi Arabia and Britain. At the outset of the forum, the participants held a minute of silence for the innocent Palestinians who lost their lives in the Israeli massacres in Gaza. King Abdulaziz University (KAU) student Amnah Fattani, wearing a Palestinian scarf (Keffiyah) which took fashion at the forum by storm, could not hide her deep sorrow over the Israeli atrocities in Gaza which have claimed nearly 850 lives in two weeks. “We discussed, with 20 men and women who came all the way from Britain, several points implying our aspirations, hopes, and fears of what is going on in Gaza,” she said. “A long conversation focused on redefining our relevance in the world in general, and in the Palestinian issue, in particular,” she said. The Saudi side comprised of 20 boys and girls drawn from five different social organizations. The two sides discussed present and future issues faced by the youth. Hatim Al-Arnoos, Director of Foreign Dialogue and International Relations Administration at King Abdul Aziz Center for National Dialogue, said the forum is aimed at understanding each others' perspectives. The forum will also submit its recommendations to relevant authorities. Mahmood Abdulghani, a Saudi participant in the forum, said several intellectual and media projects will be launched between the two sides after the end of the forum.
