Specialists, researchers and prominent personalities from the region and worldwide will take part in the two-day forum RIYADH: The impact of digital technology on family cohesion in the Middle East, and the family’s role in confronting children’s addiction to electronic devices, will be among subjects tackled at a Gulf Family Forum to be held in Riyadh. Specialists, researchers and prominent personalities from the region and worldwide will take part in the two-day forum, which has been organized by Saudi Arabia’s Family Affairs Council in cooperation with the Secretariat General of the Gulf Cooperation Council. The forum — the first to be held in the region — will take place on Sept. 14-15 under the title “Future Opportunities and Challenges for the Family in the Gulf.” Virtual reality and augmented reality technologies’ effects on family cohesion in the Gulf will be explored, while the forum will also examine the use of innovation and technology to confront challenges and create opportunities. Discussions will also focus on financial management and the impact of consumption patterns on family stability, as well as the balance between parents’ work and their role at home. The Family Affairs Council represents Saudi women, children and the elderly in international organizations, proposes awareness programs, and follows up on recommendations and agreements ratified by the Kingdom. The forum is being held under the patronage of Ahmed bin Sulaiman Al-Rajhi, council chairman, and Saudi minister of human resources and social development. Its opening coincides with Gulf Family Day, which was proposed by the Kingdom during the seventh meeting of the GCC Committee of Ministers of Social Development in September last year. Hala Al-Tuwaijri, council secretary-general, said that the forum will discuss the importance of maintaining and nurturing family cohesion to help prepare future generations capable of advancing their societies in the face of rapid social and economic changes. The forum will also examine best practices and policies to support childhood in Gulf countries, the role of education in building personality, and strengthening children’s senses of identity in light of media openness. Policies, legislation and regulations that support the elderly in the Gulf will be explored under the theme “The Status of the Elderly in Light of Changes.” Threats to health in early childhood, and premarital examinations and their impact on reducing genetic diseases, will be among topics relating to family health in the Gulf.