His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, attended today the official inaugural session of the 11th Fikr conference meaning “Thought Conference “ in English, which is organized by the Arab Thought Foundation. The conference entitled “The Citizen and the Future of Governments” is being held in the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Dubai under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed. In attendance of the opening session, which started with the national anthem, were Shaikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Prince Khalid Al Faisal, Chairman of the Arab Thought Foundation, His Royal Highness Prince Turki Al-Faisal, a number of Shaikhs, princes, ministers, heads and directors of departments and institutions and others. HRH Prince Khalid Al Faisal, Chairman of Arab Thought Foundation, thanked the UAE led by President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the Vice- President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum for their efforts and initiatives to support the endurance of the Arabic language and culture. He said in a prose that Allah created human being in his image and endow him with a mind to prevail over the mortal universe. Prince Khalid, who concluded his speech amid applause, added that Allah also promise human being with a paradise. Dr Suleiman Abdulmoneim, secretary general of Arab Thought Foundation announced 50 speakers will address the two-day long conference in five sessions, besides a workshop in which elite of Arab thinkers and innovators from the UAE and a number of Arab countries will take part. Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid appreciated the convention of the conference to enable Arab thinkers and intellectuals communicate and exchange views on the Arab latest developments, especially the political, cultural and social changes. He lauded the efforts of Prince Khalid Al Faisal, Chairman of Arab Thought Foundation, noting that the foundation brings together the Arab cultural, political and intellectual elites under one umbrella to launch constructive initiatives and consolidate the Arab culture concept, especially among the youth. Shaikh Mohammed welcomed the participants at the conference, indicating that the UAE in general and Dubai in particular welcome all Arab innovators in different fields.