Riyadh International Philosophy Conference

The Riyadh International Philosophy Conference is an annual conference that hosts philosophers and thinkers from around the world to discuss philosophy and its contemporary applications. It is organized by the Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission, affiliated with the Ministry of Culture in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The first edition of the conference was launched in 2021.

Objectives of the Riyadh International Philosophy Conference

The Riyadh International Philosophy Conference aims to provide an annual space for dialogue to discuss the latest developments in the field of philosophy and its modern applications; offer multidimensional philosophical content accessible to all segments of society; build bridges of cooperation among practitioners in the field globally, and support the momentum of philosophical scientific and academic research.

The conference discussed the idea of the intersection of science and philosophy at their meeting point, addressing the impact of industrial revolutions on humanity, artificial intelligence, the relationships that arise between humans and machines, and climate change.

Riyadh International Philosophy Conference 2021

The first edition of the Riyadh International Philosophy Conference was held at King Fahd National Library in the capital, Riyadh, under the theme “Festival of Ideas.” It addressed a main theme titled “The Unexpected,” with the participation of prominent international and regional thinkers and institutions. Discussions focused on the most pressing contemporary philosophical issues, the role of philosophy in understanding today’s world, and its engagement with human conditions.

The conference featured eleven public lectures and seventeen specialized workshops, delivered and attended by contemporary philosophers and thinkers, including researchers and academics from around the world. It also included parallel activities, such as “Socrates Café” with American philosopher Christopher Phillips, and the “Philosophical Café,” which served as a forum for meetings and relationship-building among conference participants and guests from across the globe.

Riyadh International Philosophy Conference 2022

The second edition of the Riyadh International Philosophy Conference, held from December 1 to 3, 2022, was titled “Knowledge and Exploration: Space, Time, and Humanity.” It featured the participation of seventy-one speakers—including university professors, philosophers, astronauts, and scientists—from twenty countries, and welcomed approximately 2,700 visitors. The conference included a range of activities, including:

Interactive Space: Presented the history of philosophical concepts through audience engagement, aiming to enhance interest in the field and provide a series of interactive models offering tangible understanding of the concepts of time, space, and humanity.

Philosophers’ Café: Enabled interaction among participants in an informal setting, where timely questions drawn from the conference theme “Knowledge and Exploration: Space, Time, and Humanity” were discussed.

Philosophers of Tomorrow Space: Targeted youth aged seven to fifteen, featuring several workshops such as animated storytelling about astronauts and creative arts and crafts activities.

Philosophical Camp: Included open-air philosophical discussion sessions, field activities, and the “Reading Between the Lines” competition, which took the form of an open debate among four groups of university students across two dialogue sessions under the main question: Is ethical concern over the development of artificial intelligence exaggerated?

Riyadh International Philosophy Conference 2023

Under the theme “Cross-Cultural Values and Ethical Challenges in the Age of Communication,” the Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission organized the third edition of the Riyadh International Philosophy Conference in 2023, held from December 7 to 9, 2023. The conference brought together scholars and specialists interested in philosophy, its theories, and contemporary applications from around the world. It hosted seventy guests from twenty countries.

The third edition addressed several key themes, including:

The philosophical framework of cross-cultural values: theoretical, methodological, and practical implications.

Philosophical examination of cross-cultural values: classical and contemporary approaches.

Cross-cultural ethics in historical context: normative ethics, metaethics, and applied ethics.

Justice and legislation in a multicultural world: rights, ethics, and the Other.

Philosophy of identity: the self, the Other, and cultural construction.

Moral relativism versus universal standards: critical evaluation and cross-cultural comparison.

Philosophy of religion and ethics: cross-cultural perspectives on religion and morality.

Ethics and responsibility in the age of communication technologies: philosophical inquiries into virtual reality and emerging technologies.

Cross-cultural aesthetics: art, innovation, and imagination.

Historical consciousness in an era of cultural exchange.

Ethics of the good life and the future of humanity: ethics, technology, and post-humanism.

Riyadh International Philosophy Conference 2024

The fourth edition of the Riyadh International Philosophy Conference was held from December 5 to 7, 2024, at King Fahd National Library in Riyadh. It was held under the theme “Philosophy and Quality of Life: Existence, Truth, and the Good,” with the participation of sixty speakers from around the world. The conference offered a range of workshops and seminars covering topics such as dialogue skills, critical thinking, aesthetics, and the history of logic in Islamic civilization.

The conference welcomed 5,400 visitors from diverse segments of society, who explored practical tools and insights for applying philosophical thinking in daily life, as well as the importance of philosophy’s role in addressing contemporary societal challenges

Riyadh International Philosophy Conference 2025

The fifth edition of the Riyadh International Philosophy Conference was held from December 4 to 6, 2025, at King Fahd National Library, under the theme “Philosophy Between East and West: Concepts, Origins, and Mutual Influences.” It featured the participation of sixty speakers—philosophers, thinkers, and researchers from various countries around the world—who delivered forty dialogue sessions addressing the roots of philosophy and the trajectories of its development. The conference was attended by seven thousand visitors.