AN important conference of more than 1,000 intellectuals will open in Riyadh Tuesday. Attendees will deliberate cultural issues not from a literary viewpoint, as has been the case in past academic and scientific symposiums, but from an organizational perspective. That is to say, there will be more focus on improving the organizational structure of literary clubs as well as cultural and art societies so that they can better serve the interests of society. The organizational structure of such groups is an important issue and all the existing administrative structures of the Kingdom's literary clubs and cultural societies should be evaluated and reconsidered. Those attending the conference should try to answer the question: How can such clubs and societies be more independent institutions and what type of guidance and follow-up do they require? These issues should be given serious consideration and the intellectuals attending the conference should take the opportunity to offer clear, realistic and practical proposals of steps which can be taken to tackle the problems facing literary clubs and cultural societies. However, the proposals must be feasible. Many times in such symposiums the ideas put forth are so impractical and far removed from reality that they can never be put into effect. All of the Kingdom's intellectuals who plan to attend the conference should prepare themselves carefully for the meeting. Their serious consideration of the issues is a way to express their thanks to the Ministry of Culture and Information which is greatly interested in and concerned with their opinions and proposals. Dr. Abdul Aziz Khoja, Minister of Culture and Information, has said that although he himself has opinions about the best way to reorganize the Kingdom's literary clubs and cultural societies, he preferred to discuss them with those attending the conference after first listening to their ideas and recommendations. The nation's intellectuals, therefore, should demonstrate that they deserve the Minister's confidence by participating seriously in a conference which will be a landmark in the Kingdom's cultural history. __
