HRH Prince Turki Al Faisal, Former US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter, Former Foreign Minister of Italy Franco Frattini and Dr. Hoda Al-Helaissi, Member of the Shoura Council amongst keynote speakers.
RIYADH May 20, 2017: The inaugural Riyadh Forum on Countering Extremism and Fighting Terrorism, is kicking-off tomorrow at the Intercontinental Hotel. Organized by The King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, and sponsored by the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition, this year’s theme “The Nature of Extremism and the Future of Terrorism” is part of the high-level, event-packed week, coinciding with President Donald Trump’s historical visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The Riyadh Forum will have world renown keynote speakers, including HRH Prince Turki Al Faisal, Chairman of Board of Advisors, The King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, Former US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter, Former Foreign Minister of Italy Franco Frattini, Professor Ridwan Elsayyed, Professor of Islamic Studies, Lebanese University, Dr. Hoda Al-Helaissi, Member of the Shoura Council, Dr. Saud Alsarhan, Secretary General of The King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, Sir John Jenkins, Executive Director, The International Institute for Strategic Studies – Middle East, Bahrain and Richard Barrett, Director, The Global Srategy Network, Former Head of Global Counterterrorism Operations MI6.
In addition, there will be twenty-six subject matter experts, broken down into four panels, in the areas of countering extremism and fighting terrorism. Their knowledge and expertise will create important discussions on issue facing the world today as they relate to the nature of extremism and the future of terrorism. The forum will also see participation of more than 100 academic and media experts from around the world, in addition to a large audience from within the Kingdom.
The forum consists of four panels: Daesh 2.0 & The Future of Terrorism; Online Extremism and Offline Terrorism; The Crime/Terror Nexus; and Confronting Terrorism. The forum panels aim to provide an open and frank discussion on the issues facing our region and the world today. Each panel will be attended by subject matter experts, in the fields of extremism and terrorism, that will shed light on the real nature of extremism and discuss actual solutions to fighting terrorism. The hope is that this dialogue will inspire others to conduct research and develop tangible strategies to fight extremism in all its forms.
Due to overwhelming public demand for attendance, the organizers opened the forum to public, providing them the opportunity to register online at http://kfcris.com/en/reg on a first come first served basis. The King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies has also recently unveiled the forum logo, a symbol of determination, consisting of the palm of the hand in the sign of stand in the face of extremism and terrorism. The multi-color indicates the methods through which we can unite to fight extremism and terrorism – intellectual, economic, political and ideology.
The King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies - established in 1983 - is regarded as a tribune of research that brings together researchers and institutions to sustain, produce, and disseminate academic work, as well as to enrich the cultural and intellectual life in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is also regarded as a bridge through which to maintain contact and establish communication with the rest of the world. KFCRIS produces in-depth analysis on contemporary political issues, Saudi studies, North African and Arab Maghreb studies, Iranian and Asian studies, energy studies, and studies on the Arabic language and modernity. The Center has developed cooperation with prestigious institutions of scientific research in various countries of the world. It is home to group of outstanding researchers and has forged strong links with many scholars around the world, known for their work in various fields of research.
Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC) was announced in December 2015 by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, Deputy Crown Prince and Minister of Defence of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The IMCTC is a 41-nation alliance of willing partner countries united in the fight against terror. IMCTC will provide a platform for countries to propose, debate, and facilitate collaboration among member and supporting nations for the execution of initiatives in four domains – Ideology, Communications, Counter Terrorism (CT) Financing and Military. The IMCTC will develop, collect, store, and disseminate a wide range of information on CT programs and best practices undertaken by member countries and international organizations.
