AAMER TRAMBU JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia will be getting its own version of the popular Technology, Entertainment and Design (TED) series of inspirational events, to be held on Dec. 2 in Jeddah. TEDx events have been held worldwide and have featured speakers including businessmen Donald Trump, Steve Jobs, Sir Richard Branson, Nandan Nilekani and Bill Gates, who have shared their ideas and insights. Jeddah will have 20 brief speeches from the most innovative and enterprising minds in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East. Titled ‘TEDxArabia', this TED event is being independently organized by a group of enthusiastic young Saudis who have volunteered to devote their time to the belief that “if an idea can inspire a thought, and a thought can change lives, it is worth sharing it with the rest of the world”. This is derived from the TED motto, “Ideas Worth Spreading”. Currently there are 600 TEDx events worldwide, with an average audience of between 100 and 200. In Jeddah, more than 700 people have already signed up. The total seating capacity will be 1,000. Speakers at TEDxArabia include Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa, creator of “The 99”, the first series of comic superheroes based on Islamic culture. The series aims to promote values such as cooperation and unity throughout the Islamic world. Although the series is not religious, it aims to communicate Islamic virtues which are universal in nature, according to Al-Mutawa. The concept of “The 99” is based on the 99 attributes of Allah. A movie preview of the series will be presented at TEDxArabia. Saeed Baaghil, renowned marketing guru and strategy consultant, and Dr. Badr Al-Shebani, fitness expert and owner of Kai Fitness centers, are also speaking at TEDxArabia. Other speakers include pioneers from the media, entertainment and technology sectors who will share their success stories at the event. The program has been priced at SR350 and will include two networking breaks, 20 fast-paced 18-minute sessions, live artist performances, and video from global TED events. The program will be moderated by founder of TEDxArabia, Bander Al-Mutlaq, a 30-year-old marketing professional. Al-Mutlaq and his team are looking forward to ensuring the success of TEDxArabia. “Although this is the first time we are organizing a TEDx event in Jeddah, we've received an overwhelming response”, he said. “We want the audience to leave with a greater belief in themselves, they should realize that innovation lies in the heart of the one who can imagine it.”?The theme for this TEDx conference is “What is innovation?” and topics to be explored and debated include business leadership, filmmaking, blogging and the power of creative imagination. Tickets for TEDxArabia are available online at the registration page of www.tedxarabia.com. They can also be purchased at the Bridges Bookstore on Arafat Street in Jeddah. The venue is the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Haras Al-Hudood Street, Ismail Abu Dawood Main Hall. The event will take place from 4 P.M. to 11 P.M. TED is a nonprofit event which started as a four-day conference in California 25 years ago. TED has become a platform to support world-changing ideas that are shared globally through the Internet. At TED, the world's leading thinkers and doers are each asked to talk about their lives in 18 minutes. Tickets to the annual TED conference, which takes place in California, cost more than $4,000 per person and are sold out months in advance.
