In cooperation with the Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Medical and Educational Sciences, ICESCO held, on 12 and 13 November 2025, a regional workshop on the “Theoretical Foundations of Language Teaching and Learning” at the “Mishkat Al-Arabiya” Hall. The workshop was attended by a number of participants, as well as 204 trainees via videoconferencing. The trainees were among a host of outstanding educational staff working in the field of teaching Arabic to non-Arabic speakers in 14 countries.

Dr. Mohamed Ismaili Alaoui, Director of the University Centre for Arabic Language for Non-Arabic Speakers at Sultan Moulay Slimane University in Beni Mellal, Morocco, gave a talk on educational issues related to the cognitive competencies of educational supervisors. He began with a review of the theoretical foundations of second and foreign language teaching and learning. He also touched on how educational supervisors can use artificial intelligence tools to develop new ideas and methods to improve their supervisory and leadership performance, as well as enhance Arabic language teaching programs in their countries.

This workshop is part of the 2025-2026 annual program of “Mishkat Educational Leadership in Teaching Arabic to Non-Arabic Speakers”, which is implemented by ICESCO in partnership with the Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Medical and Educational Sciences, and in academic cooperation with Sultan Moulay Slimane University in Beni Mellal, Morocco. The programme trains hundreds of outstanding staff working in Arabic language teaching for non-Arabic speakers across 14 countries in West and Central Africa, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia.