RIYADH — More than 100 eminent figures, including over 20 Nobel laureates, as well as leaders, thinkers, academics and scientists are taking part in the first Hegra Conference of Nobel Laureates 2020, which kicked off on Thursday. The conference with the theme of "Knowledge Transfer: A Shared Heritage" is hosted by the Royal Commission for AlUla. The conference brings together Nobel Laureates of peace, economics, literature, physics, chemistry, physiology and medicine with towering social and political leaders to discuss the leading social problems and offer solutions to improve the state of humanity and the world. The theme of the conference reflects the historical role of AlUla as a crossroad in which different cultures, civilizations and peoples have gathered for thousands of years, focusing on the importance of imparting ideas and knowledge as a fundamental principle of humanity. Those who attend the three-day event include Nobel Peace Prize laureates such as former Polish President Lech Walesa, Lord David Trimble of Northern Ireland, and founder of Grameen Bank in Bangladesh Professor Muhammad Yunus. Among the prominent speakers at the conference are Princess Dana Firas, chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Petra National Trust, who hosted the last conference of Nobel laureates; and Audrey Azoulay, director general of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The conference is discussing important global issues related to unity, international cooperation, innovation and sustainability, heritage preservation and building a common vision for the future. The conference aims to provide solutions regarding the future of education, health, agriculture and economics. The Nobel Laureate Conference is being held regularly since 2004.
