Family forum opens in Al-Khobar

AL-KHOBAR — The fourth family gathering titled: "Naraak" (We care for you), sponsored by Eastern Province Emir Prince Saud Bin Naif, was inaugurated here Tuesday by Khaled Bin Saleh Al-Sultan, president of King Fahd University for Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM). The four-day forum is the brainchild of Prince Sultan Center for Science and Technology (SciTech) of the KFUPM with a number of sociologists and educationalists from the Kingdom and the other GCC countries participating. The forum is aimed at boosting self-confidence of young men and women which is crucial for relationships among family members. The gathering, which will conclude on Friday, focuses on children's relationships with their parents and vice versa. It will also discuss the protection of the young against deviation and criminal tendencies and the realization of a balanced relationship between all family members. SciTech's director of public relations and marketing, Waleed Al-Rasheed, said the forum aims at raising the level of educational awareness among all society sectors and spreading the societal culture. He said experts and specialists will present and discuss a number of marital issues and family relationships with a view to improve family cohesion and ties between parents and children. Rasheed said during the morning sessions, lectures will be delivered for men on a number of subjects including the parental obedience, the hopes and frustrations of the youth and the contribution of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (Haia) in reinforcing the intellectual security of families. During the evening sessions, a number of working papers will be presented. Rasheed explained that among others, the working papers will include a research on "the art of dealing with teenagers" which will cover a wide range of themes and topics. He said another work paper, which will also be delivered, will be titled "how to correct our children's minds" and a third one titled :" man is more precious than oil". Dialogues and discussions will be held between the speakers and the attendants on various topics related to the cohesion of families. During its past three versions, the forum had attracted more than 5,000 fathers and mothers. According to Rasheed, there will be marriage counseling corners during the forum.