Her Majesty attended the opening meeting of the Misk Global Forum in the Saudi capital Riyadh, where she made her remarks and was joined by senior Saudi officials, young leaders, and established global innovators to explore the event’s 2017 theme, ‘Meeting the Challenge of Change.’
Other speakers included Bill Gates, Co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Jonas Kjellberg, Co-creator of Skype; and Allen Blue, Co-founder of LinkedIn.

لم نكن في يوم أكثر حاجة للتواصل وتبادل الخبرات وآفاق الابتكار من اليوم. فعالمنا يعيش حالة من شح الأمل
Our world is suffering from a scarcity of hope, and never before has the need been greater for us to connect, exchange knowledge, and expand innovation
#MiskGlobalForum

— Rania Al Abdullah (@QueenRania) November 15, 2017

In her speech, Queen Rania highlighted the “hope gap” experienced by the disadvantaged, both within the Arab region and the world at large.

Contrasting humanity’s advances in science and technology with a global “scarcity of hope,” Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah highlighted the paradox of people starving “in the age of abundance,” as well as children being out of school “in an era of free education.”

She recalled her recent trip to Bangladesh, where she described the pain she witnessed among Muslim Rohingya refugees who had been forced to flee their homes from across the border in Myanmar. And explained that, in spite of their harsh circumstances, refugee and other vulnerable children demonstrate a “boundless ability to dream.” However, she added that this positivity often diminishes with time.

العقل الذي يملؤه الخوف لا متسع فيه للأحلام
A mind full of fear has no room for dreams#MiskGlobalForum

— Rania Al Abdullah (@QueenRania) November 15, 2017

AmrMasroujeh on twitter for Queen Rania's style

“I spoke with people who seemed hollow from shock. In their eyes, I saw the death pits where their children were thrown, and the flames that ravaged their bodies,” she said. “War has overwhelmed their lives, just as it has overwhelmed the lives of millions in the Arab region.”

ما نحن بحاجة اليه هو تكنولوجيا لها قلب... وقلبها علينا
What we need is technology with a heart – one that beats for us #MiskGlobalForum

— Rania Al Abdullah (@QueenRania) November 15, 2017

“As they grow older, their horizons narrow, closing up due to fear, obstacles, and helplessness,” Her Majesty said. “After all, a mind full of fear has no room for dreams.”

كيف سنتبادل الخبرات ونحن غير قادرين على حوار بعضنا وتقبل اختلافنا... وبتنا فئات ومذاهب وأديانا وأطيافا
How can we share expertise when we are incapable of basic dialogue and accepting our differences; when we label each other by group, sect, religion, and ideology

— Rania Al Abdullah (@QueenRania) November 15, 2017

According to the Queen, a third of the Arab population is directly affected by conflict, and “millions of others have been driven from their homelands.” Meanwhile, 13 million Arab children are out of school, and the region has one of the highest unemployment rates in the world today.

Special thanks Saudi embassy in Paris on twitter for Queen Rania's style

Arguing that innovation and technological advances alone have not alleviated the suffering of refugees and others combatting “illness, poverty, ignorance, and exclusion,” Her Majesty called for a reevaluation of motives behind acquiring technology.

إن كان الاختلاف أول ما نراه، سيبقى الأمان آخر ما ننعم به
If differences are the first thing we see, security will remain the last thing we enjoy#MiskGlobalForum

— Rania Al Abdullah (@QueenRania) November 15, 2017

“Rather than a race to the top for the privileged few, our priority should be employing technology to empower entire societies,” she said.

لنتبنى من التقنية ما يزيد من قيمتنا الإنسانية ويبقي الأمل حيا في نفوس شبابنا. لأن شبابنا العربي مفخرة
Let us adopt technologies that add value to our lives and keep hope alive in our Arab youth, for they are our source of pride #MiskGlobalForum

— Rania Al Abdullah (@QueenRania) November 15, 2017

“Is it not a paradox for us to become disconnected from our most critical humanitarian ideals in the age of connectivity? And for us to turn our backs on, and even fight, diversity instead of building tolerant and safe societies?” the Queen asked.

“What we need is technology with a heart – one that beats for us. We need technology that is not measured in bits and bytes, but by its ability to close the gaps that stand between us and the self- realization of our people,” Her Majesty added.

Citing divisions along the lines of “group, sect, religion, and ideology,” Queen Rania underscored the importance of dialogue and accepting differences, stating that people from all walks of life share a universal need “to feel that our life has value, and is valued by others.”

“If differences are the first thing we see, security will remain the last thing we enjoy,” Her Majesty added.

Queen Rania went on to call for the adoption of technologies “that add value to our lives and keep hope alive in our Arab youth,” whom she described as the region’s source of pride. “Let us broaden their horizons, and provide them with opportunities to realize their potential and achieve their ambitions,” she said.

HM @QueenRania spoke of the "boundless ability to dream" of children in her inspiring and stirring speech at #MiskGlobalForum this morning. WATCH live all day: https://t.co/RK9a5EbMho pic.twitter.com/DfVkc79cxe

— Misk Global Forum (@MiskGlobalForum) November 15, 2017

During her remarks, she also thanked Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, His Royal Highness Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, for establishing the global gathering, commending him for his “bold vision that carries appreciation and support for innovation and science.”

The Crown Prince is Founder and Chairman of Misk, a non-profit foundation established in 2011 to cultivate learning and leadership in Saudi Arabian youth and empower them to become active participants in the knowledge economy. Now in its second year, MGF 2017, the foundation’s flagship global platform, is a two-day forum, to be attended by an estimated 2,500 people from around the world.
**Photo credits: Queen Rania/Website/Twitter/Instagram/Facebook *style post coming up later