RIYADH: Ten Saudi and Arab writers will gather in locations around the Kingdom to share their literary experiences and hold discussion workshops as part of a writing retreat organized by the Ministry of Culture. The seven-day retreat, the first of its kind in Saudi Arabia, was launched on Wednesday in Unayzah, with short story writing as the focus of the opening session. Each session will deal with a specific genre of writing as the retreat moves to different areas of Saudi Arabia. The ministry hopes the retreat will support creative writing, and allow authors to meet and share their experiences. It comes as part of activities organized by the literary and publishing sector, managed by Mohammed Hasan Alwan. The ministry aims to support Saudi creative literature, and encourage talents in the field to contribute to the progress and diversification of the nation’s literary output.