UNDER THE PATRONAGE OF THE CUSTODIAN OF THE TWO HOLY MOSQUES KING ABDULLAH BIN ABDULAZIZ, DR ABDULLAH BIN SALIH AL-OBEID, THE MINISTER OF EDUCATION, INAUGURATED HERE LAST NIGHT THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON MEDIA EDUCATION. SPEAKING ON THE OCCASION, DR AL-OBEID HIGHLIGHTED THE GREAT ATTENTION GIVEN BY THE MONARCH AND HIS CROWN PRINCE TO THE EDUCATIONAL SECTOR. ON HIS PART, PRINCE DR KHALID BIN ABDULLAH BIN MEQRIN AL-MISHARI AL-SAUD, THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF EDUCATION FOR GIRLS EDUCATION, SAID MEDIA EDUCATION IS CONCERNED WITH DEEPENING UNDERSTANDING AND EXPERIENCE. HE NOTED THAT THE CONVENING OF THE CONFERENCE COMES AT THE TIME WHEN THE ENTIRE MANKIND IS WITNESSING UNPRECEDENTED MEDIA DEVELOPMENT. PRINCE DR KHALID SAID THE CONFERENCE IS ATTENDED BY A NUMBER OF SPECIALIZED PERSONALITIES WHO HAVE MADE CONTRIBUTIONS TO ACCELERATE THE WHEEL OF KNOWLEDGE. HE NOTED THAT REPRESENTATIVES OF UNESCO, ARAB LEAGUE EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATION (ALESCO), THE ISLAMIC EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATION (ISESCO) AS WELL AS ARAB BUREAU FOR EDUCTION IN THE GULF STATES (ABEGS) ARE PARTICIPATING IN THE CONFERENCE. THE 3-DAY CONFERENCE WILL REVIEW A NUMBER OF TOPICS INCLUDING EDUCATIONAL CULTURE, MEDIA CULTURE, MODERN TELECOMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY, INFORMATION MEDIA, THE ROLE OF THE SCHOOL IN THE MEDIA EDUCATION, SCHOOL SYLLABUSES AND OTHER RELATED TOPICS. UNESCO'S REPRESENTATIVE MANUEL TOMEIR SAID THE CONFERENCE IS THE FIRST OF ITS KIND TO BE HELD IN THE MIDDLE EAST. HE LAUDED THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA FOR ITS PIONEERING ROLE IN THE FIELD OF MEDIA EDUCATION.
