Hassan Cheruppa
Saudi Gazette
JEDDAH — Veteran Saudi journalist and political analyst Khaled Almaeena has said the Jeddah International Book Fair would contribute significantly to quench the thirst for reading by the people of Jeddah, especially young Saudi men and women.
“The young Saudis are excited and delighted over visiting the book festival, which came after a hiatus of nearly one decade, and I know that many Saudi women have a passion of reading. I saw an unprecedented presence of young Saudis at the book fair, which in a way would be instrumental in furthering the Kingdom’s growth and development, considering the fact that young men and women are the engines of growth,” he said.
Almaeena, who is Saudi Gazette's editor-at-large, made the remarks while meeting a number of scholars, writers and media persons, who came to attend the book fair, at his office here.
While lauding the bold initiatives taken by the Saudi leaders for women empowerment, Almaeena said: “It is to the credit of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman who has continued enhancing the legacy of his predecessor King Abdullah in many areas, including women empowerment. The King has proved that there is no going back on the reforms,” he said.
Almaeena sees the election of several Saudi women to the municipal councils as a good signal for the nation's future with the active participation of women in the decision making process.
Almaeena, who had served as editor in chief of Arab News and Saudi Gazette for about a quarter of a century, was instrumental in encouraging many young Saudis, especially women, to opt for a career in journalism. “I am proud of having the privilege to encourage many young Saudis to take up this challenging profession.”
He also emphasized the need for upholding India’s core values of secularism, pluralism, tolerance and diversity, saying that the beauty and strength of India lies in these values.
Those who visited Almaeena included Ibrahim H. Malabari, founder and president of the Toronto-based Messenger of Merci Foundation International;O. Abdurahman, group editor of Madhyamam newspaper and MediaOne TV; and well-known Indian writer Prof. B. Rajeevan. V.M. Ibrahim, executive editor of Gulf Madhyamam; and Safarullah Mulloli, south Jeddah president of Thanima Cultural Forum, were also present.
Malabari has invited Almaeena to attend the international conference on the Prophet of Mercy, scheduled to be held in Toronto, Canada in June 2016.
Abdurahman and Rajeevan came from India to attend the book fair as the guests of the Ministry of Culture and Information.
