On September 29, 2024, the Riyadh International Book Fair hosted a highly anticipated dialogue session featuring renowned American author Walter Isaacson, who praised the Kingdom's burgeoning entrepreneurship, particularly in the energy and development sectors. The event, which took place at the Riyadh International Book Fair, offered a unique opportunity for attendees to engage with Isaacson's expertise on leadership and creativity.
Isaacson's dialogue session, moderated by Yasmin Al-Khowaiter, delved into his vast experience in crafting biographies of globally significant figures, exploring leadership concepts among the influential personalities he has chronicled. He highlighted the Kingdom's developmental revolution, particularly in renewable energy, as evidenced by the surge in innovation and the proliferation of solar panels. The author also shared key factors essential for fostering creativity in practice, including curiosity, exploration, out-of-the-box thinking, passion, humility, poise, simplicity in execution, precise task delineation, and adherence to ethical principles.
Throughout the session, Isaacson took attendees on a journey through the evolution of creativity across epochs, beginning with the intellectual revolution of Benjamin Franklin, progressing to the nuclear era represented by Einstein, advancing into the digital age with Steve Jobs, and culminating in the space revolution led by Elon Musk. The author's insights provided valuable lessons for entrepreneurs and innovators seeking to drive change and make a lasting impact.
The Riyadh International Book Fair 2024, organized by the Literature, Publishing, and Translation Commission, runs from September 26 to October 5 at King Saud University. This year's theme, "Riyadh Reads," aims to elevate the Kingdom's cultural standing both regionally and globally. The fair features a wide array of cultural, artistic, and entertainment events, including over 200 activities designed for all age groups. Attendees can engage in seminars, dialogue sessions, lectures, poetry evenings, and workshops led by a distinguished group of writers, thinkers, and intellectuals from Saudi Arabia and around the world. These sessions cover a broad range of subjects and disciplines.
