Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received Dr. Anwar Kalshat Al Mahri, Minister of Technical Education and Vocational Training of the Republic of Yemen, to discuss ways and mechanisms for cooperation in developing programs and projects aimed at protecting local languages from extinction, enhancing young people’s technical and vocational skills, promoting entrepreneurship, and advancing institutional development.

During the meeting, held on Friday, 4 September 2026, at ICESCO Headquarters in Rabat and attended by Ambassador Ezzedine Al Asbahi, Ambassador of Yemen to Morocco, Dr. AlMalik stressed that ICESCO seeks to develop initiatives and activities that respond to the needs of its Member States in the fields of education, youth capacity building, and heritage preservation for future generations. He also reviewed the Organization’s efforts to attract talented young professionals from across the Islamic world.

The Director-General highlighted the importance of international organizations investing in the development of education and vocational training in Yemen as a cornerstone for preparing generations capable of building a better future within their communities. He described vocational training as an important step toward advancing sustainable development and strengthening the labor market.

For his part, Dr. Al Mahri outlined the Ministry’s efforts to address challenges in the education sector by creating an enabling environment for innovation, creativity, and knowledge dissemination. He emphasized the importance of strengthening partnerships with international organizations, foremost among them ICESCO, as a center of expertise.

He also expressed the Ministry’s interest in cooperating with ICESCO on a project that explores the use of Arabic script in protecting endangered spoken local languages.
The two parties agreed to develop an action plan during the coming period to establish innovation units and a local platform for technical and vocational training, as well as to strengthen the scientific and technical skills of the Ministry’s personnel and staff.

The meeting was also attended by Osama Heikal, Head of the Media and Communication Sector, and Dr. Ahmed Albanyan, Head of the Education Sector, Director of the Translation and Publishing Center.