Jeddah: The 28th annual conference and exhibition of the Special Libraries Association-Arabian Gulf Chapter (SLA/AGC) began today in Jeddah. Organized in collaboration with the Libraries Commission of the Ministry of Culture, the event is themed "Towards the sustainability of knowledge and the preservation of culture and heritage: Managing rare documents, manuscripts and heritage materials in the era of emerging technologies and artificial intelligence."

According to Saudi Press Agency, attendees included CEO of the Libraries Commission Dr. Abdulrahman Alasem and President of the SLA/AGC Dr. Hassan AlSereihi. At the event, AlSereihi noted this is the conference's first occurrence in the Kingdom, highlighting its origins at Aramco and subsequent move to Bahrain. He praised the commission's efforts and emphasized the need to address modern developments in content and information management, particularly regarding artificial intelligence.

The conference will last three days at the Crowne Plaza Jeddah, featuring over 70 scientific papers, 18 workshops, an exhibition of information systems, and a cultural program that includes a tour of Historic Jeddah and traditional arts performances.