The Saudi Ministry of Culture hosted the 19th Consultative Council for Cultural Development in the Islamic World on Monday, 10 February 2025, in Jeddah. The meeting, organized by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) in partnership with the Saudi Ministry of Culture, focused on discussing the agenda, draft resolutions, and documents to be presented at the 13th Conference of Ministers of Culture in the Islamic World, scheduled for February 12–13 in Jeddah.

The opening session began with a recitation of verses from the Holy Quran, followed by ICESCO’s address delivered by Dr. Mohamed Zine El Abidine, Head of the Culture Sector. He emphasized the organization’s efforts to cultivate excellence and innovation in the Islamic world as foundations for research and renewal in scientific, artistic, technical, and communication fields. He also highlighted ICESCO’s achievements in cultural development and the initiatives and documents to be presented at the upcoming conference.

Dr. Zine El Abidine further noted that ICESCO is establishing specialized centers for calligraphy, manuscripts, poetry, and literature, stressing that the organization collaborates with its member states to develop strategic action plans that elevate culture to a central and foundational role in the Islamic world.

Afterward, Dr. Talal bin Saud Al-Ruwais, Chairman of the Consultative Council for Cultural Development in the Islamic World, discussed the contributions of Islamic civilization to cultural advancement and stressed that the meeting serves as a preparatory step for the 13th Conference of Ministers of Culture in the Islamic World, which aims to enhance cultural cooperation among ICESCO member states and review key resolutions on preserving tangible and intangible heritage.

The opening session also included the approval of the new Council Bureau for its 19th session, with Saudi Arabia assuming the presidency from Qatar, which now serves as rapporteur, while Palestine and Senegal were appointed as vice presidents.

Following the opening, the Council proceeded with two working sessions. The first session focused on approving the meeting’s agenda and reviewing several executive reports to be presented at the 13th Ministerial Conference, including arrangements for electing new Consultative Council members, the draft internal regulations of the Ministerial Conference, ICESCO’s cultural achievements report, and the report of the Islamic World Heritage Committee.

In the second session, the Council examined key policy documents, including:

​•​ICESCO’s Initiative on Cultural Rights and the Right to Culture in Islamic World Countries

​•​A document on strengthening efforts to recover cultural properties in the Islamic world

​•​An analytical report on the list of world heritage sites in danger in the Islamic world

​•​A document on digitizing bilingual dictionaries in Islamic countries

​•​A document on the historical illustrated dictionary of Arabic calligraphy, presented by Saudi Arabia

The meeting concluded with the adoption of the agenda, schedule, and documents for the 13th Conference of Ministers of Culture in the Islamic World. Members of the Consultative Council praised ICESCO’s efforts in strengthening collaborative cultural initiatives across the Islamic world and acknowledged its achievements under its new strategic vision, underscoring the need for continued support of its endeavors.