Dr. Salim AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received Mr. Abdelilah Benkirane, former Prime Minister of Morocco, during his visit to the Organization’s headquarters in Rabat on Thursday, 25 September 2025. Dr. AlMalik began the meeting, which was also attended by Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, Deputy Director-General, and a number of other ICESCO leaders, by reviewing ICESCO’s vision and strategic orientations, and highlighting the programs and initiatives it implements in its Member States.

The ICESCO Director-General reviewed the most significant transformations undergone by the Organization and its structure over the past five years, including the modification of the Organization’s name to disambiguate the nature of its competencies and highlight its openness to various parties with the aim of serving the countries of the Islamic world and beyond, as well as the creation of several new sectors and centers specializing in media and communication, strategy and institutional excellence, civilizational dialogue, the Arabic language, calligraphy and manuscripts, poetry and literature, foresight, and artificial intelligence.

Dr. AlMalik also stated that relations with Morocco, the seat country, have developed remarkably over the past few years. ICESCO has implemented some 370 activities in cooperation with the Moroccan authorities, a number of which have enjoyed the royal patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may Allah protect him. These include hosting the International Exhibition and Museum of the Prophet’s Seerah and Islamic Civilization, which was inaugurated by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Moulay Hassan of Morocco and has attracted around nine million visitors to date.

For his part, Mr. Benkirane praised the Organization’s recent developments, noting that visiting its headquarters and seeing these developments was like rediscovering ICESCO and its pioneering role.

Dr. AlMalik then took Mr. Benkirane on a tour of the Organization’s departments and specialized centers, as well as the Exhibition and the International Museum of the Prophet’s Seerah.