Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), held a meeting today, Friday, 17 April 2026, with Mr. Mohamed El Ferrane, Director of the King Abdulaziz Public Library in the Kingdom of Morocco, to discuss ways and mechanisms to strengthen cooperation between the Sultan Qaboos Library at ICESCO and the King Abdulaziz Public Library in the dissemination of knowledge, the exchange of expertise in the cultural field, and the preservation and valorization of manuscripts.

During the meeting, held at the Organization’s headquarters in Rabat, Dr. AlMalik stressed that the Islamic world is rich in a vast collection of manuscripts and rare books, which necessitates enhanced cooperation among organizations and libraries across ICESCO Member States to develop mechanisms for safeguarding this invaluable heritage. He also highlighted ICESCO’s efforts in implementing programs and projects aimed at promoting the history and culture of the Islamic world.

For his part, Mr. El Ferrane expressed the readiness of the King Abdulaziz Public Library to strengthen its partnership with ICESCO and the Sultan Qaboos Library in developing a network of libraries across the Organization’s Member States, and in organizing international seminars and conferences to raise awareness of the manuscripts of the Islamic world and its rich heritage.

The two parties agreed to establish a technical team to identify a number of joint activities, programs, and projects of mutual interest, with a view to signing a partnership agreement in the near future.

ICESCO was represented during the Meeting by Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, Deputy Director-General, and Dr. Ahmed AlBanyan, Director of the Translation and Publishing Center. Following the meeting, Mr. El Ferrane toured the Sultan Qaboos Library, which was inaugurated in a grand ceremony earlier this week.