Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received Sheikh Sultan Al-Burkani, Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of Yemen, and his accompanying delegation, and together discussed ways to promote cooperation between ICESCO and Yemen in the fields of education, science and culture.
During the meeting, held Tuesday, January 17, 2023, with the presence of Ambassador Azzedine Said Al-Asbahi, Ambassador of Yemen to Morocco, Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, ICESCO Deputy Director-General; and several heads of the Organiozation’s sectors, Dr. AlMalik reaffirmed that ICESCO relies on communication with its Member States, through coordination with the National Commissions for Education, Science and Culture, to identify their respective priorities and needs with the aim of designing tailored programs and projects.
The Director-General also noted that ICESCO accords great attention to supporting Yemen, particularly in the fields of education and safeguarding and promoting Yemeni heritage. He added that the Organization has inscribed several Yemeni historical sites and cultural elements on its lists of tangible and intangible heritage in the Islamic world.
For his part, the Parliament Speaker commended ICESCO’s efforts and the strides of progress it has made over the last years, making it a beacon of civilizational and scientific outreach. The Yemeni official also seized this opportunity to highlight the need to sustain joint efforts to preserve and promote Yemeni heritage by setting up a technical committee to identify the working priorities in this field over the upcoming period.
At the end of the meeting, Dr. AlMalik offered Sheikh Sultan Al-Burkani an ICESCO Shield.
Following the meeting, the Director-General took the Yemeni official and his delegation on a tour of the Exhibition and Museum of the Prophet’s Seerah and Islamic Civilization, currently housed at ICESCO Headquarters in Rabat. The Speaker listened to detailed presentations on the contents of the different pavilions and sections, which feature modern display techniques and narrate and document in detail the Seerah of our Prophet (PBUH).