Dr. Salim M. Al-Malik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met Dr. Muhammad Sulaiman Al Jasser, President of the Islamic Development Bank Group, and discussed ways to develop the existing cooperation between ICESCO and the Group to support Muslim countries in the fields of education, science and innovation, and promote the status of Arabic language internationally.

At the outset of the meeting, held on Thursday (March 9, 2023), in Riyadh, Dr. AlMalik thanked Dr. Al Jasser for the cooperation between ICESCO and the Group to implement projects in the field of education for people with disabilities and writing African languages in the Quranic script and the project for supporting education in partnership with the Moroccan government.

He stressed that the strategic partnership between ICESCO and the Group contributes directly to supporting sustainable development in the educational, scientific, cultural, humanitarian and social fields in Muslim countries, stressing ICESCO’s keenness to deepen cooperation and partnership between the two parties in the coming period.

For his part, Dr. Al Jasser commended ICESCO’s efforts in serving Member States in the fields of education, science and culture, stressing his keenness to enhance fruitful cooperation between the organization and the Islamic Development Bank Group, in areas of common interest, aimed at launching initiatives and programs that benefit Muslim countries at the economic, social and environmental levels.

The meeting, which also brought together several ICESCO officials, discussed the revision of the memorandum of understanding signed between the two parties to define the priorities of the Organization and the Group, completing the current projects, launching new programs in the field of community development, particularly in the fields of education and science, and preparing an action plan to be attached to the new memorandum of understanding.

At the end of the meeting, Dr. AlMalik presented Dr. Al Jasser with an ICESCO shield in appreciation of his efforts and the support provided by the Islamic Development Bank Group in the fields of education, science and culture.