WE'VE all heard about the popular TED. Leaders, opinionators, young entrepreneurs, inventors, and all types of geeks share probably the most priceless and unquantifiable asset of human beings: ideas. "Ideas worth spreading" is what TED calls it. It has gone global with every region hosting its own TED.

TED now is in Saudi Arabia. It's being organized by a group of young and enthusiastic Saudis. They were first translating the global TED talks. But this time they've invited their own list of popular achievers, many of them Saudis. It’s a great way to promote talent and encourage entrepreneurship in the kingdom. Saudi Gazette has been reporting on this event with interviews in the past week.

Excerpt of the first announcement:

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia will be getting its own version of the popular Technology, Entertainment and Design (TED) series of inspirational events, to be held on Dec. 2 in Jeddah.

Jeddah will have 20 brief speeches from the most innovative and enterprising minds in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East. Titled ‘TEDxArabia’, this TED event is being independently organized by a group of enthusiastic young Saudis who have volunteered to devote their time to the belief that “if an idea can inspire a thought, and a thought can change lives, it is worth sharing it with the rest of the world”.

This is derived from the TED motto, “Ideas Worth Spreading”. Speakers at TEDxArabia include Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa, creator of “The 99”, the first series of comic superheroes based on Islamic culture. The series aims to promote values such as cooperation and unity throughout the Islamic world.

Although the series is not religious, it aims to communicate Islamic virtues which are universal in nature, according to Al-Mutawa. The concept of “The 99” is based on the 99 attributes of Allah. A movie preview of the series will be presented at TEDxArabia.

 It is necessary to mention here that the controversial ‘The 99’ is not only not religious, but also un-Islamic, as scholars have said according to various media reports. The 99 first appeared in the news many years ago, between 2003 and 2006. The founder Al-Mutawa explained his concept in this 2007 report, “Muslims believe that power is God, and Allah has 99 attributes. So the idea is a series of heroes each which embodies one of these 99 traits.” In another report, he said:

"Muslims believe that power is ultimately God, and God has 99 key attributes. Those attributes, if they all come together in one place, essentially become the unity of God." He stresses that only God has them all, however, and 30 of the traits deemed uniquely divine will not be embodied by his characters.

I don't know if he really meant it, but Islam doesn't say power is God. God is All-Powerful, yes. The objection has been about the personification of Allah’s attributes. Each 'superhero' represents an attribute. The fundamental Islamic belief is that Allah is unique in His Names and Attributes and being the only one worthy of worship. There is no partner to Him. It is not permissible to make God similar to creation or creation similar to God. Personification in one sense is no different than the Hindu mythology/religion where the creator is one character/god, the destroyer is another, the god of rain is someone else, and so on. That's why Hindus worship lots of gods. Though the idea of providing alternative comics that spreads good is great, which is the defense line adopted, it doesn’t mean there is no solution other than The 99. It remained banned in the kingdom. This year however it was featured in a big way in the Arab News and was even praised by Barack Obama as “the most innovative response” in an explicit statement.

Enough of that, let’s get back to our TEDx Arabia. Excerpts of the Saudi Gazette report continues:

Saeed Baaghil, renowned marketing guru and strategy consultant, and Dr. Badr Al-Shebani, fitness expert and owner of Kai Fitness centers, are also speaking at TEDxArabia.

Other speakers include pioneers from the media, entertainment and technology sectors who will share their success stories at the event.

The program has been priced at SR350 and will include two networking breaks, 20 fast-paced 18-minute sessions, live artist performances, and video from global TED events.

The program will be moderated by founder of TEDxArabia, Bander Al-Mutlaq, a 30-year-old marketing professional. Al-Mutlaq and his team are looking forward to ensuring the success of TEDxArabia. “Although this is the first time we are organizing a TEDx event in Jeddah, we’ve received an overwhelming response”, he said.

“We want the audience to leave with a greater belief in themselves, they should realize that innovation lies in the heart of the one who can imagine it.”?The theme for this TEDx conference is “What is innovation?” and topics to be explored and debated include business leadership, filmmaking, blogging and the power of creative imagination.

Tickets for TEDxArabia are available online at the registration page of www.tedxarabia.com. They can also be purchased at the Bridges Bookstore on Arafat Street in Jeddah.

The venue is the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Haras Al-Hudood Street, Ismail Abu Dawood Main Hall. The event will take place from 4 P.M. to 11 P.M.

Alright! Insha Allah, I’ll be attending the event. It’s today. The timings 4-11 PM seem to be a little too heavy for me. Let’s see how much of it I will attend. TEDx is a great way to encourage entrepreneurship. I wish the organizers all the very best.