Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met with Dr. Sali Shahsivari , Managing Director of the Al-Furqan Islamic Heritage Foundation in London, on Tuesday, 20 October 2026, to discuss ways of cooperation in organizing international conferences and seminars to highlight the objectives and values of Islam and the contributions of Islamic world countries to the exact sciences, as well as publishing a guide to historical manuscript cataloguing.

During the meeting, held at ICESCO headquarters in Rabat, Dr. AlMalik highlighted the changes the Organization has undergone in recent years, starting with its adoption of an open and inclusive approach and direct engagement with its Member States to develop programs and projects that deliver tangible results in education, science, culture, heritage preservation, the promotion of civilizational dialogue, and youth capacity-building.

The ICESCO Director-General outlined the Organization’s efforts to promote the culture of the Islamic world and safeguard its heritage through the establishment of specialized centers of preserving and enhancing the value of heritage, including the ICESCO Center for Calligraphy and Manuscripts. He also expressed the Sultan Qaboos Library’s willingness to cooperate with the Foundation in exchanging books and publications.

For his part, Dr. Shahsivari outlined the objectives and areas of specialization of the Foundation, foremost among them manuscript preservation and the publication of scholarly encyclopedias. He affirmed the Foundation’s interest in cooperating on activities to promote an accurate understanding of Islam and Islamic civilization, as well as organizing a seminar and a training course on cataloguing and manuscripts and publishing a joint guide in this field.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the two sides agreed to develop an action plan setting out arrangements for their cooperation in the coming period.

Those attending the meeting on behalf of ICESCO included Mr. Anar Karimov, Head of the Partnerships and International Cooperation Sector; Ambassador Khalid Fathalrahman, Head of the Center for Civilizational Dialogue; Dr. Idham Hanash, Director of the Center for Calligraphy and Manuscripts; and Dr. Ahmed Abdelbaset, Expert at the Center.

It is worth noting that the Al-Furqan Islamic Heritage Foundation is a non-profit organization established in London in 1988 to enhance the value of Islamic manuscript heritage, catalogue, study and publish manuscripts, encourage research in the sciences, and raise awareness of the richness of Islamic civilization.