Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), affirmed that education remains the most powerful investment for achieving civilizational transformation and sustainable development. He stressed that improving foundational education and elevating the status of teachers constitute the true gateway to any effective educational reform.

Dr. AlMalik made these remarks on Wednesday, 14 January 2026, during the high-level panel marking the 50th anniversary of the Arab Bureau of Education for the Gulf States, under the theme “The Future of Learning in the Gulf States: Renewed Roles for Regional and International Organizations.” The event was attended by Ministers of Education from the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, heads of international and regional organizations, and a select group of experts and specialists.

Dr. AlMalik began his address by congratulating the Arab Bureau of Education for the Gulf States on this occasion, commending its pioneering role over the past fifty years in anticipating the future of Gulf education through studies, research, and capacity building. He emphasized that this educational legacy embodies generations of ambition, effort, and achievement.

Moreover, Dr. AlMalik pointed out that hundreds of millions of children worldwide remain out of school, noting that addressing this challenge starts with modern foundational education that goes beyond rote learning to foster creativity and skills, while paying attention to the child’s psychological and social environment. This, he explained, has a direct impact on enhancing skill development, increasing school retention rates, and reducing academic failure.

He also stressed that teachers are the cornerstone of any successful educational system, calling for investment in them through pre-service and in-service training programs, the adoption of clear career pathways, improvement of working conditions, and preservation of their social and professional status.

Dr. AlMalik highlighted that Gulf States have achieved remarkable progress in education, yet sustaining this successful experience requires expanding its reach and sharing best practices with other countries of the Islamic world.

In this regard, he reiterated ICESCO’s readiness to play a coordinating role in disseminating the Gulf educational model, citing examples of the Organization’s field projects in education, including school support programs, water and sanitation initiatives, and the construction and rehabilitation of educational institutions in several Islamic world countries.

He also shed light on ICESCO’s ambitious program “Civilizational Education,” which is based on two fundamental pillars: pride in identity and conscious openness to others. He called on Islamic countries to contribute to developing this educational concept at its foundational stages.