Communication in times of crisis and its adaptation to national plans: areas of focus for the ICESCO delegation at the forum

A delegation from the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) took part in the 14th edition of the International Government Communication Forum (IGCF), organized by the Sharjah Government Media Bureau (United Arab Emirates), under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah. The event was held at the Sharjah Expo Center under the theme “Communicating for a Better Quality of Life” and concluded its activities on Thursday, September 11, 2025.

On the second day of the Forum, Ms. Sally Mabrouk, Director of the Office of the Director General, Supervisor of the Strategy and Organizational Excellence Sector, spoke at a session titled “Government Communication for Sustainable Lifestyles.” She emphasized that adapting government communication to national sustainable development plans has become essential to ensuring policy coherence, strengthening trust between institutions and communities, and building more resilient systems capable of meeting future aspirations.

During this session, which brought together government communications officials from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan, various successful national experiences in this field were reviewed. These experiences have contributed to achieving objectives with a success rate of around 40%, compared to the success rate of around 20% achieved through traditional approaches.

Ms. Sally Mabrouk also pointed out that, through its international partnerships, ICESCO is working to enable Member States to establish a government communications system based on trust, transparency, and community participation. The aim is to transform national plans into concrete development practices.

The session also welcomed Dr. Zaid Nawaiseh, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Government Communication of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, who discussed government communication tools aimed at promoting active citizenship and engaging society in sustainability issues.

Mr. Abdulrahman Majrashi, Director of the Government Communication Centre and spokesperson for the Saudi Ministry of Information, emphasized the importance of collaboration between government communication and soft social forces, using social influencers as an example.

Finally, Ahlam Al Feel, Director of Corporate Communication and Chief Happiness and Positivity Officer, Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority, UAE, made a presentation on ethical frameworks in government discourse on sustainability.