His Excellency Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, extended his sincere congratulations to Dr. Salim M. AlMalik on the occasion of his re-election as Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) for a new term, by unanimous decision of the Organization’s Member States, following his nomination by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, during the proceedings of the 15th session of the ICESCO General Conference, held in Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan, Russian Federation.
President Aliyev commended the roles undertaken by ICESCO under the sound leadership of its Director-General, which have resulted in a renewed vision and innovative strategic orientations. He noted that the Organization’s work has positioned it among international organizations with a tangible impact in the fields of education, science, and culture.
The Azerbaijani President also highlighted the significant achievements and qualitative initiatives resulting from the distinguished partnership between ICESCO and the Republic of Azerbaijan, through cooperation with relevant Azerbaijani institutions and entities. He praised Dr. AlMalik’s efforts in advancing joint action to broader horizons for the benefit of the Islamic world.
Dr. Khaled El-Enany, Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), extended his sincere congratulations to Dr. Salim M. AlMalik on the occasion of his re-election as Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) for a second term. the re-election was unanimously approved by the Organization’s General Conference following his nomination by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, during the 15th session of the General Conference held in Kazan, in the Republic of Tatarstan of the Russian Federation.
Dr. El-Enany praised this distinguished choice as a clear and significant recognition of Dr. AlMalik’s outstanding career and extensive experience in multilateral diplomacy and international cooperation. He described the renewed confidence placed in him by the Member States as a strong testament to his leadership, commitment, and strategic vision, as well as to his efforts in advancing ICESCO’s values and mission across the Islamic world and among the Organization’s international partners.
He affirmed that UNESCO highly values its cooperation with ICESCO, which is grounded in shared objectives aimed at improving the quality of education for all, achieving gender equality, promoting cultural diversity, protecting the environment, and advancing sustainable development for individuals. He noted that this cooperation will soon culminate in the signing of a new cooperation agreement to help build peaceful and resilient societies.
The UNESCO Director-General reaffirmed the Organization’s commitment to working with ICESCO to address the challenges of a rapidly changing world, and to mobilizing its expertise, experience, and networks in support of joint efforts to promote a culture of peace and achieve sustainable development.
The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held the second conference in its “Conferences on Calligraphy and Manuscripts in the Islamic World” series. The conference was held in person and via videoconference at the initiative of the Center for Calligraphy and Manuscripts under the theme: “The Theory of Calligraphy in Medina: A Study on the Origins of Arabic Calligraphy,” presented by Dr. Idham Hanash, Director of the Center.
The conference was held on Wednesday, 20 May 2026, at the Organization’s headquarters in Rabat. Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, ICESCO’s Deputy Director-General, who delivered a welcome speech, emphasized the importance of this scientific series for advancing research on Arabic calligraphy and manuscripts and strengthening academic discourse on their position in Islamic civilization.
In his lecture, Dr. Hanash presented “Medinan Calligraphy” as a decisive moment in the development of Arabic calligraphy, as reflected in the Uthmanic Codex (Mushaf of Uthman). He noted that Medinan calligraphy did not derive from or draw inspiration from earlier calligraphic styles such as Musnad, Nabataean, or Syriac. Dr. Hanash explained that this theory identifies Medina as the true cradle of Islamic Arabic calligraphy and is based on a purely aesthetic and artistic approach, as opposed to other theories.
Dr. Hanash also reviewed issues related to the evolution of Arabic calligraphy and its aesthetic characteristics. He emphasized its deep connection to the Quranic text and Islamic cultural identity. He also noted the artistic and scientific dimensions that calligraphy has acquired over time, making it one of the most striking expressions of creativity in Islamic culture.
Dr. Ahmed Abdelbaset, expert at the Center for Calligraphy and Manuscripts, moderated the conference, which addressed themes related to Arabic calligraphy as a representation of writing and language, an art form, and a science with its own body of knowledge, principles, and theories. The conference also reviewed various theories on the origins of Arabic calligraphy and the transformations it has undergone in terms of form and structure throughout the ages.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received Ambassador Chao Weiding, Director-General of the West Asia and North Africa Bureau of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CCP), on Wednesday, 20 May 2026, at ICESCO headquarters in Rabat, to discuss avenues and mechanisms for cooperation in promoting civilizational dialogue and cultural exchange between China and the Arab and Islamic world.
During the meeting, Dr. AlMalik expressed ICESCO’s willingness to collaborate with Chinese institutions and organizations, highlighting the cultural similarities between the Islamic world and China. He also expressed the Organization’s desire to collaborate with the Chinese side to organize conferences and seminars on civilizational dialogue and coexistence, in line with ICESCO’s approach of openness.
Dr. AlMalik considered strengthening partnership with the People’s Republic of China an important step toward building youth capacities, fostering peace, protecting heritage, promoting student and academic exchange, and restoring cultural sites through the development of joint initiatives and projects.
For his part, Ambassador Chao Weiding commended ICESCO’s efforts in the fields of education, science, and culture, as well as in promoting civilizational exchange and the values of tolerance. He affirmed the willingness of the West Asia and North Africa Department of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China to cooperate with ICESCO in raising awareness of Arab and Islamic culture and enhancing cultural dialogue with China. He also invited Dr. AlMalik to visit China to participate in a number of activities to be organized by the Department in the coming period.
At the close of the meeting, the two sides discussed joint arrangements for organizing the International Forum on Civilizational Dialogue in China, in addition to holding activities in the fields of digitization, technology, innovation, and linguistic exchange. The meeting concluded with an exchange of commemorative shields and gifts.
The meeting was attended by Dr. Mohamed Zinelabidine, Head of ICESCO’s Culture Sector; Dr. Sally Mabrouk, Director of ICESCO Director-General’s Office and Supervisor of the Strategy and Institutional Excellence Sector; Dr. Kuanysh Yergaliyev, Head of ICESCO’s Science and Environment Sector; Dr. Webber Ndoro, Director of ICESCO’s Islamic World Heritage Center; Mr. Smail Ajbaili, Head of the Translation Division; and Dr. Yusuf Muhammed, expert at the Partnerships and International Cooperation Sector.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received on Tuesday, 19 May 2026, at the Organization’s headquarters in Rabat, Mr. Saeed bin Sultan Al Busaidi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth for Culture of the Sultanate of Oman. The meeting reviewed ways to strengthen joint cooperation in the fields of culture, heritage, and creative industries.
At the outset of the meeting, Mr. Al Busaidi congratulated Dr. AlMalik on his unanimous re-election as Director-General of ICESCO for a second term, commending his leadership of the Organization and the distinction achieved by its programs and projects, which have positioned ICESCO as a centre of expertise in the fields of culture, science, education, and communication.
Dr. AlMalik then affirmed that, over recent years, ICESCO has continued to consolidate its standing as a reference organization and a centre of expertise in its fields of competence, thanks to the launch of high-quality projects and practical initiatives with tangible impact in the Member States. He stressed that the Organization views cooperation with the Sultanate of Oman as an important driver for strengthening joint cultural action, particularly in the areas of heritage preservation, valorization of civilizational heritage, and support for intellectual and literary initiatives in the Islamic world.
Dr. AlMalik renewed the call to inscribe elements and sites from Oman’s rich and diverse heritage on ICESCO’s Heritage Lists in the Islamic World, affirming the Organization’s readiness to provide technical support through its Heritage Center. He also proposed holding one of the meetings of the Heritage Committee in the Islamic World in the Sultanate of Oman, selecting one of the Omani cities as a Capital of Culture in the Islamic World, and strengthening cooperation within the ICESCO Forum of Women Poets, thereby consolidating the Organization’s role as a unifying space for cultural creativity.
For his part, Mr. Saeed bin Sultan Al Busaidi affirmed the Sultanate of Oman’s commitment to strengthening cooperation with ICESCO and regarding it as a strategic partner in the fields of culture and heritage. In this context, he donated three historical manuscripts to the Sultan Qaboos Library, hosted at ICESCO headquarters in Rabat: a complete Qur’an whose pages are framed with gilding and whose opening page is adorned with gold decorations; a copy of Al-Burda Poem transcribed in 1271 AH; and a manuscript on Hajj, the copying of which dates back to before the sixteenth century CE, for inclusion among the library’s rare books and manuscripts.
The meeting was attended on the Omani side by Mr. Khalid Al Harthy, Director-General of Museums and Exhibitions at the Ministry of Culture, and Mr. Khalid Al Busaidi, Director of the Undersecretary’s Office. On the ICESCO side, the meeting was attended by Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, Deputy Director-General; Dr. Mohamed Zine El Abidine, Head of the Culture Sector; Dr. Salim Al Habsi, Head of the General Secretariat of National Committees and Conferences; and Dr. Rawda Al-Hajj, Head of the Literature and Poetry Center.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received Ambassador Mohamed Ben Youssef, Director-General of the Afro-Arab Cultural Institute, on Tuesday, 19 May 2026, at ICESCO Headquarters in Rabat. The meeting explored cooperation prospects in manuscript restoration, heritage protection, and strengthening the international presence of the Arabic language.
During the meeting, Dr. AlMalik reviewed the Organization’s contributions to heritage preservation, including the inscription of heritage sites and cultural elements, the safeguarding of tangible and intangible heritage, and initiatives to transcribe African languages using the Arabic script.
Dr. AlMalik affirmed ICESCO’s willingness to develop a joint program with the Afro-Arab Cultural Institute to restore the historic Timbuktu manuscripts in Mali and implement activities aimed at raising awareness of shared figures and symbols between the Arab and African worlds.
For his part, Ambassador Ben Youssef commended the Organization’s efforts in recent years to advance initiatives and programs within its areas of competence. He underscored the Institute’s commitment to developing joint activities in teaching Arabic to non-Arabic speakers and promoting civilizational exchange among Arab and African cultures to disseminate the values of coexistence, tolerance, and peace among peoples.
The meeting was attended by Dr. Abdelillah Benarafa, Deputy Director-General of ICESCO; Dr. Mohamed Zine El Abidine, Head of the Culture Sector; Mr. Osama Heikal, Head of the Media and Communication Sector; and Dr. Anas Husam Al-Nuaimi, expert at ICESCO’s Center of Arabic for Non-Arabic Speakers.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received Mr. El Houssein Ould Meddou, Minister of Culture, Arts, Communication, and Relations with Parliament of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, to discuss ways of strengthening cooperation between the two sides in the fields of media, civilizational dialogue, and the preservation and safeguarding of heritage. The meeting was attended by Mr. Ahmed Ould Bahiya, Ambassador of Mauritania to the Kingdom of Morocco, and Mr. Mohamed Ould Sidi Abdallah, Secretary-General of the Mauritanian National Commission for Education, Culture, and Science.
During the meeting, held on Monday, 18 May 2026, at the Organization’s headquarters in Rabat, Dr. AlMalik stressed that ICESCO attaches the utmost importance to cooperation with Mauritania in the areas of media literacy, civilizational upbringing, and the use of artificial intelligence and digital technologies in the protection of manuscripts and the promotion of the civilizational heritage of the Organization’s Member States, particularly as ICESCO’s vision for the coming period will focus on new horizons of development and innovation.
Dr. AlMalik also underscored the importance of investing in the young men and women of the Islamic world as a creative human capital, which requires equipping them with skills that keep pace with rapid technological developments, within the framework of an innovative action plan aimed at building a prosperous Islamic world.
For his part, Mr. Ould Meddou congratulated Dr. AlMalik on his unanimous re-election by the Organization’s Member States for a new term, noting that this would open new horizons for strengthening the strong partnership between ICESCO and Nouakchott. He also praised the Organization’s sustained efforts in recent years, under the leadership of Dr. AlMalik, in educating younger generations and building youth capacities through initiatives and projects in the fields of education, science, and culture.
The Minister further expressed his Ministry’s readiness to cooperate in disseminating knowledge and raising awareness about prominent figures of the Islamic world, in addition to collaborating on the development of a joint international platform dedicated to promoting Islamic civilizational identity, its values, and its distinctive characteristics.
During the meeting, ICESCO was represented by Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, Deputy Director-General; Mr. Osama Heikal, Head of the Media and Communication Sector; and Dr. Salim Al-Habsi, Director of the General Secretariat of National Commissions and Conferences.
Dr. Salim bin Mohamed AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), participated on Thursday, 14 May 2026, in the proceedings of the Culture Ministers’ Conference, held in Kazan, in the Republic of Tatarstan of the Russian Federation, at the invitation of the Russian Ministry of Culture, with the participation of His Excellency Rustam Minnikhanov, Rais of the Republic of Tatarstan, Mr. Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, National Leader of Turkmenistan, and several ministers in charge of cultural affairs from across the Islamic world.
In his address, Rais Minnikhanov affirmed that, far from being a mere honorary title, the act of granting Kazan the title of Culture Capital in the Islamic World, under the ICESCO Program for Culture Capitals in the Islamic World, is a crowning of Tatarstan’s contributions to enriching Islamic civilization and building the future, underscoring the significance of celebrating Kazan as a platform for international dialogue.
Meanwhile, National Leader Berdimuhamedow praised the efforts of international organizations, notably ICESCO, in promoting the human values of Islamic world civilization and supporting ICESCO’s Member States in the fields of education, science, and culture. The National Leader also expressed Turkmenistan’s readiness to collaborate with the Organization in implementing several projects.
Dr. AlMalik started his speech by congratulating Turkmenistan on its accession to ICESCO as an observer state, reaffirming the Organization’s readiness to celebrate the city of Ashgabat as a Culture Capital in the Islamic World under its dedicated program for culture capitals. He further noted that, through its various programs and projects in the fields of education, science and scientific research, knowledge dissemination, cultural promotion, and heritage preservation, ICESCO endeavors to broaden the horizons of cooperation with institutions, universities, and research centers in the Russian Federation.
The Director-General commended the strong relationship binding the Islamic world and the Russian Federation together, thanks to their shared values and principles, which strengthen the bonds of tolerance, solidarity, and mutual respect among peoples and communities.
The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) received on Friday, 8 May 2026, the delegation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia participating in the 2026 International Publishing and Book Fair in Rabat. During the visit, the delegation was briefed on the Organization’s key achievements and programs through a tour of its various sectors and centers.
The delegation, which included representatives of the Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission and various other entities, also visited the International Exhibition and Museum of the Prophet’s Seerah and Islamic Civilization, and toured the halls of the Sultan Qaboos Library at ICESCO, where they explored its diverse collection of publications and cultural and knowledge references.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of ICESCO, received the Saudi delegation in his office, welcoming them and reviewing the outcomes of the strategic partnership between ICESCO and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in a number of cultural, educational, and scientific fields.
Dr. AlMalik also expressed ICESCO’s aspiration to participate in the Riyadh International Book Fair, commending its distinguished cultural presence and its active role in supporting the book and publishing industry.
He further praised the initiative of the Saudi delegation to donate a collection of books and publications displayed at the Kingdom’s pavilion to the Sultan Qaboos Library at ICESCO, noting that this contribution would enrich the Library’s holdings and strengthen cultural and knowledge cooperation.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received Dr. Dawas Tayseer Rashid Dawas, Assistant Secretary-General for Palestine and Al-Quds Affairs at the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), on the occasion of the conclusion of his term as Chair of ICESCO’s Executive Council. Dr. AlMalik expressed his deep appreciation for the efforts exerted by Dr. Dawas during his term and for his valuable contributions to supporting educational and cultural action in the service of the causes of the Islamic world.
During the meeting, held on Thursday, 7 May 2026, at ICESCO headquarters in Rabat, Dr. AlMalik praised Dr. Dawas’ commitment and professionalism, as well as his contributions to advancing the Organization’s orientations and programs. He also commended his previous role as Secretary-General of the Palestinian National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, wishing him success in his current responsibilities.
Dr. AlMalik emphasized that Dr. Dawas’ assumption of his new duties within the Organization of Islamic Cooperation would open broader prospects for coordination between the two organizations, enabling enhanced partnerships, the exchange of expertise, and the development of integrated action.
For his part, Dr. Dawas expressed his appreciation for ICESCO and his pride in having chaired the Executive Council, praising the qualitative progress achieved by the Organization in terms of programs, initiatives, and international presence. He also conveyed the congratulations and regards of H.E. Mr. Hissein Brahim Taha, Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, to Dr. Salim AlMalik on the occasion of submitting a recommendation to ICESCO’s General Conference to re-elect him as Director-General for a second term.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Dr. AlMalik presented Dr. Dawas with a commemorative shield in recognition of his distinguished efforts during his term as Chair of the Organization’s Executive Council and in appreciation of his contributions to supporting ICESCO’s path and strengthening its institutional presence.
The meeting was attended on behalf of ICESCO by Dr. Salim Al-Habsi, Director of the General Secretariat of National Commissions and Conferences, and Mr. Mohamed Hedi Shili, Head of the Division of Legal Affairs and International Standards.
