Riyadh: The King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives (Darah) announced its intention to organize a global conference titled "Arabia and Arabs in Syriac Sources," scheduled to take place on November 11-12, 2026. The conference is part of Darah's academic programs, aimed at deepening research into the historical sources of the Arabian Peninsula and expanding comparative studies of Arab history through non-Arabic records.
According to Saudi Press Agency, the conference will serve as a specialized scholarly platform dedicated to exploring references to the Arabian Peninsula and the Arabs in Syriac sources, analyzing the nature of the historical material recorded by Syriac authors, their approaches to narration and historiography, and the influence of religious, political, and cultural contexts on shaping these writings. This effort seeks to contribute to a renewed reading of several historical issues in light of this important body of knowledge.
The conference will address several main academic themes, including: "Arabia in Syriac Sources during the Pre-Islamic Period," "Syriac Inscriptions about the Arabs," "Syriac Authors and Islamic Civilization," "The Syriac Histography of the Arabs," "Syriac Authors and Early Islamic History," in addition to "Centers of Syriac Studies and Civilization of the Arabs".
A distinguished group of researchers and academics specializing in Syriac studies and Arab and Islamic history from universities and research centers inside and outside the Kingdom will participate in the conference. Academic research papers will be presented, addressing various topics and opening new avenues for scholarly dialogue among specialists in history, Semitic languages, and civilizational studies, thereby strengthening interdisciplinary knowledge integration.