The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the Saudi National Commission for Education, Culture, and Science, affiliated with the Saudi Ministry of Culture, signed the Executive Programme of the Hajj Routes to Makkah Al-Mukarramah and Historical Mosques. The Programme provides for cooperation between the Organization and the Kingdom to protect tangible and intangible cultural heritage, establish the “Center for Hajj Routes to Makkah Al-Mukarramah and Historical Mosques”, coordinate efforts to take the necessary measures for preserving historical heritage, and adapt it to modern pilgrim stations such as ports and airports. This aims to establish Islamic civilization as a fundamental reference point in both human history and international relations.

The Executive Programme was signed on 17 January 2024, by Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, and Mr. Ahmed bin Abdulaziz Alblihed, Secretary-General of the National Commission, during the opening session of ICESCO’s 44th Executive Council, hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Jeddah.

The Executive Programme provides for joint cooperation to highlight the role of the Islamic civilization and the significance of the Two Holy Mosques as a center for civilizational convergence and world peace. It also outlines measures to protect the cultural heritage sites of the Hajj routes in ICESCO Member States, support cultural industries related to Hajj worldwide, and facilitate the exchange of technical expertise among the Member States to build capacities in the field of Hajj routes heritage.

The Center for the Hajj Routes to Makkah A-Mukarramah and Historical Mosques will manage and execute the Programme, organize various activities and workshops, document and preserve heritage along the Hajj routes, and create a map of sites and mosques inside and outside Islamic world, in order to highlight their architectural and engineering characteristics. Additionally, the Center will explore global tourist routes and products related to historical mosques, connecting them to the Hajj routes.

The Executive Programme also involves establishing an interactive structure including museums and online platforms to shed light on the historical development of Hajj routes and create an integrated global system for the Hajj economy.