RIYADH, April 10 (Xinhua) -- More than 100 Asian researchers and academics specialized in Asian Arabists issues from 18 countries gathered in Riyadh, capital of Saudi Arabia, to discuss Arabic studies in Asian countries.

Western Orientalism has spread and dominated the knowledge activity related to the Arab world and the sciences of Islam, and the field of Asian Arabists has been out of sight for decades, said Yahya Mahmoud bin Junaid, president of the Center for Research and Intercommunication Knowledge (CRIK), Saudi Arabia's think tank, on Wednesday.

Now, the opportunity came to highlight and celebrate it, he said.

The First Asian Arabists Conference, organized by CRIK, kicked off on Tuesday. The three-day event features 16 seminars where the researchers will discuss 87 research papers on Asian Arabists studies.

"We are meeting in this event with those who have served the Arabic language and worked to develop its education and teaching in all parts of Asia," bin Junaid said.

Zhu Weilie, director of the Committee of Experts of the China-Arab Research Center on Reform and Development, stressed the efforts made with the CRIK to revive the idea of the Asian Arabists project.