Category: Director General

Dr. Salim AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met with HRH Princess Lamia Bint Majed Al Saud, Secretary-General of Alwaleed Philanthropies, and together they reviewed the outcomes of joint programs during 2021. The parties explored future cooperation projects between the Organization and the Foundation, in coordination with the Saudi National Commission for Education, Culture and Science.

During the meeting, held yesterday, 28 December 2021, at the headquarters of the Alwaleed Philanthropies in Riyadh, ICESCO DG reiterated his gratitude to HRH Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, Chairman of the Alwaleed Philanthropies, for the Foundation’s support for ICESCO including a donation of USD 2,090,000 to implement projects aiming at mitigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic through supporting women and youth entrepreneurship. These projects provided assistance to 10 African countries to address the repercussions of the pandemic. Dr. AlMalik also provided the Secretary-General with statistics and operational data pertaining to the implementation of the program in all the beneficiary countries.

For her part, HRH Princess Lamia commended ICESCO’s tireless efforts, stressing the eagerness of Alwaleed Philanthropies to further develop partnerships with the Organization.

During the meeting, the two parties explored ways to develop constructive partnership and cooperation between ICESCO and Alwaleed Philanthropies, through sustaining cooperation on projects related to countering the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, through the production of educational media materials, as well as face masks, sanitizers, liquid soap, detergents and various protection tools. They also agreed to sustain cooperation on building the capacities of women and youth to promote peace, security, and coexistence among cultures and civilizations.

The meeting also touched upon a project for cooperation related to mobile health services, which is an integrated mobile medical unit targeting vulnerable and needy groups in several countries, especially in remote and rural areas. The meeting also explored prospects of cooperation in the field of safeguarding tangible and intangible heritage, especially in the African region, encouraging ICESCO Member States to inscribe their heritage sites, particularly endangered ones, on ICESCO’s Islamic World Heritage Lists and UNESCO’s World Heritage List, and providing support to the Member States where these sites are located.

Mr. Hattan Munir bin Samman, Secretary-General of the Saudi National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, Mr. Hani bin Hamza Mansi, Advisor to the Commission and Dr. Ahmed Said Bah, Advisor to ICESCO DG for Partnerships and International Cooperation, attended the meeting, along with several female executives at Alwaleed Philanthropies.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met with Dr. Abdullah bin Muhammad Al-Walidi, DG of the National eLearning Center, and together they explored cooperation prospects between ICESCO and the Center in the field of e-learning and discussed its potential and ways to develop digital educational content to promote the quality of education in the Islamic world.

During the meeting, held today, Thursday 23 December 2021, at the headquarters of the Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the two parties explored the methodologies and mechanisms necessary for supporting e-learning in the ICESCO Member States in 2022, including offering e-learning licenses and sharing them with the Member States, developing cooperation in the field of building capacities to obtain professional e-learning certificates, and holding workshops and training sessions where experts from ICESCO and the Center can provide e-learning support to countries in need.

At the close of the meeting, the two parties reaffirmed their keenness to promote cooperation and partnership between the Organization and the Center, in coordination with the Saudi National Commission for Education, Science and Culture, to share the Kingdom’s successful experiences and vast expertise in the field of e-learning with several ICESCO’s Member States. They also agreed to work together to launch e-learning initiatives, prizes, and projects and support relevant studies and research works.

Mr. Hani bin Hamza Mansi, Advisor to the Saudi National Commission, Dr. Ahmad Said Bah, Advisor to ICESCO DG, for Partnerships and International Cooperation, attended the meeting in addition to a number of officials at the Center.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met with Sheikh Dr. Mohammad bin Abdulkarim Alissa, Secretary-General of the Muslim World League (MWL). They reviewed the outcomes of the fruitful partnership between ICESCO and the League in 2021, particularly with regard to following up the implementation of the resolutions and recommendations of the International Conference on the Civilizational Values in the Prophet’s Seerah.

During the meeting, held yesterday, Wednesday 22 December 2021, at the League’s headquarters in Riyadh, the two parties discussed the programs and activities scheduled for implementation in cooperation between ICESCO and the MWL in 2022. These include the Second Session of the International Conference on the Civilizational Values in the Prophet’s Seerah, following up on the publishing of studies and research works, and organizing training sessions and workshops on promoting the values of tolerance, middle stance and moderation.

The two parties also agreed to co-hold several intellectual and academic seminars in 2022, in line with the outcomes of the International Conference on the Civilizational Values in the Prophet’s Seerah, and reaffirmed the importance of sustaining cooperation between ICESCO and the League to highlight the true image of the Islamic civilization.

The participants in the ICESCO International Conference on “Women and Arabic Language: Realities and Future Prospects”, that the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held in celebration of the World Arabic Language Day 2021, underlined the importance of highlighting women’s civilizational and human roles as well as their contributions and achievements in service of promoting Arabic. Participants also stressed the need to support women’s initiatives aiming at developing the Arabic language and promote their literary creations.
The conference was held on Tuesday, December 21, 2021, via videoconference, as part of the celebration of 2021 as the Year of Women, which was granted the high patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI of Morocco. The conference saw high-caliber participation including senior officials, poets, and specialists in the Arabic language.

The opening session was marked by the opening remark of the Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, followed by the addresses of the guests of honor. Afterwards, Dr. Fatima Houssaini, Vice-President of the National Coalition for the Arabic Language of Morocco, moderated the first working session, which discussed the topic of “Women’s contributions to Arabic language promotion”. The second working session addressed the theme of “Women Leadership in Linguistic Upbringing” and was moderated by Dr. Widad Naibi, Director of Ibn Batouta African Institute in Benin, while the third working session was moderated by Dr. Nawal bint Sulaiman Al-Thunayan, Advisor at Princess Nora bint Abdulrahman University in Saudi Arabia and discussed “Women’s future roles in Arabic language promotion”.

The working sessions featured presentations on key academic studies and papers in the field of Arabic and yielded innovative ideas and practical proposals to promote women’s presence and highlight their contributions to develop and preserve Arabic’s status as a prominent world language.

At the close of the conference, participants issued a number of recommendations, notably the need to highlight the shared responsibility between men and women to promote and serve Arabic through engaging them both in all cultural and human projects and activities, and the importance of creating Arabic programs that address women’s issues from educational, cultural and entertainment standpoints. The participants also recommended organizing workshops to build the capacities of women Arabic teachers, especially non-native speaker; launching new literary contests to highlight women’s contributions and publicize their achievements in the field of Arabic; supporting academic research works and studies on women’s contributions to Arabic; and creating interactive online spaces and digital platforms in service of Arabic for non-Arabic speakers.

With valuable testimonies on the remarkable contributions of women to promote the role of Arabic, develop its curricula, and promote its various aspects, the ICESCO International Conference on “Women and Arabic Language: Realities and Future Prospects” kicked off today, Tuesday 21 December 2021, via videoconference. The conference is organized by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and saw high-caliber participation including senior officials, poets, and specialists in the Arabic language. 

The Conference is held as part of the celebration of 2021 as the Year of Women, which was granted the high patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI of the Kingdom of Morocco, and in observance of the World Arabic Language Day 2021.

The opening session was marked by the address of Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, who stated that dedicating this Conference to women and the Arabic language aims to discuss their contributions, following a sound scientific methodology, especially that old language references did not give due consideration to the role of women in promoting the language.

He added that women nowadays have scored major professional and academic gains and made significant contributions to enriching linguistic research, stressing that promoting Arabic is a responsibility both men and women share.

Moreover, the Director-General stated that as part of its new vision, ICESCO accords great attention to women’s poetry as it launched this year the ICESCO prize for Women’s Poetry, under the theme, “Poem of the Year of Women.” He added that the Organization will soon publish a poetry collection of the best participating poems, titled, “When they brightened the world with their poems.”

Following the Director-General’s address, Sheikha Dr. Souad Mohammad Al-Sabah, Founder of Souad Al-Sabah Publishing and Distribution House in the State of Kuwait, gave an address wherein she reaffirmed that the role of women in promoting Arabic is akin to their relation to life: without women, the language loses its vitality and is in a fight for its existence.  She added that despite the disregard of women’s presence in Arabic poetry in particular and Arabic literature in general, women managed to leave their marks on Arabic and its various linguistic and literary aspects.

She pointed out that the Conference constitutes a major step to do justice to Arabic, adding that she has fought all her life for Arabic and written various works to preserve its beauty.

In her address, Dr. Aawatif Hayar, Moroccan Minister of Solidarity, Social Integration and Family, stressed that Arabic is one of the widely spoken and richest Semitic languages worldwide, highlighting its rich vocabulary.
She also pointed out that using Arabic in knowledge production was not reserved for men. “Women’s creativity has contributed to the rich production of knowledge. In this regard, the Kingdom of Morocco has made tremendous efforts to bridge the gender gap and considerable gains in ensuring gender equality,” stated the Minister.

In her address delivered by Ms. Vasylieva Oksana, Ambassador of Ukraine to the Kingdom of Morocco, Ms. Emine Dzhaparova, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, emphasized that Arabic enjoys a rich cultural diversity, underlining that women play a key role in building peace. “Thus, women should participate in various fields on an equal footing with men. I participated in the launch of several initiatives to enhance the presence of women and strengthen Ukrainian relations with the Arab world,” added Ms. Dzhaparova.

In her address, Ms. Karin Kneissl, former Austrian Minister of Foreign Affairs, indicated that studying Arabic during the past years enabled her to travel and discover many things. She called on the authorities and parties in charge of teaching Arabic to raise awareness of its importance and ensure its dissemination and survival.
At the close of the opening session, which was moderated by Dr. Majdi Haji Ibrahim, Head of ICESCO Center of Arabic for Non- Arabic Speakers, the participants watched two videos respectively on ICESCO Women’s Poetry Prize “Poet of the Year of Women 2021” and the 2nd Edition of ICESCO ‘Bayan’ Award for Creative Expression in Arabic 2021. The Center also launched its website.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met with Dr. Takiddine Youssouf, Minister of Youth, Employment, Labor, Sports, Arts and Culture of the Union of Comoros, following their participation in the 22nd Session of the Conference of Ministers in Charge of Cultural Affairs in the Arab World that the UAE Ministry of Culture and Youth held in cooperation with the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO).

The two parties reviewed the programs and activities that will be implemented in cooperation between ICESCO and the competent parties in the Comoros, including the proposal to establish a regional Arabic center aimed at promoting the teaching of Arabic and enhancing its position in the Comoros. The two parties also discussed arrangements for sending experts from the Organization to hold training sessions for the benefit of young people on preparing nomination files for inscribing heritage sites and cultural elements on ICESCO’s Islamic World Heritage Lists, as well as ways to publicize the working areas of the ICESCO’s Center for Heritage in the Islamic World and procedures and mechanisms for safeguarding historical sites.

At the close of the meeting, the two parties reaffirmed their keenness to promote cooperation and partnership between ICESCO and the Union of Comoros. The Minister reaffirmed his country’s support for ICESCO’s vision and new action strategy, commending the Organization’s distinct initiatives, programs and activities geared towards supporting its Member States, noting that Comoros will pay its contribution in ICESCO budget soon.

The meeting was attended by Mr. Ahmadou Youssoufa, Secretary of the National Commission for Education, Science and Culture of the Union of Comoros.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), toured the pavilions of the Organization’s Member States participating in Expo 2020 Dubai. The visit took place during ICESCO DG’s participation in the opening session of the Arabic Language Summit and the 22nd Session of the Conference of Ministers Responsible for Cultural Affairs in the Arab World that the UAE Ministry of Culture and Youth held in cooperation with the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO).

Dr. AlMalik toured the pavilions of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Egypt, and Mauritania. During the tour, ICESCO DG was introduced to exhibits reflecting the progress of the civilization, culture and identity of each country, and portraying its abundant heritage and tremendous potential.

Dr. AlMalik hailed the pavilions’ sophistication and splendor which reflect the richness and authenticity of their respective countries’ heritage. The elegantly designed pavilions also reflect the countries’ forward-thinking approach through far-sighted, scientifically founded visions, and mirror the importance that their leaders attach to the countries’ heritage, culture, and human capital.

During his tour, ICESCO DG emphasized the Organization’s keenness to work closely with its Member States on valorizing the Islamic world’s heritage, promoting cultural industries, preserving identity, and providing a true portrayal of the Islamic civilization and culture founded on coexistence, peace, civilized dialogue and tolerance.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), emphasized the role of culture in instilling hope and strengthening identities through a positive and dynamic approach, towards addressing identity conflicts in various parts of the world and countering extremism and egocentrism.

This statement was part of his address during the opening of the 22nd Session of the Conference of Ministers Responsible for Cultural Affairs in the Arab World that the UAE Ministry of Culture and Youth held, on Sunday, December 19, 2021, in Abu Dhabi, in cooperation with the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO). The Conference brought together several ministers of cultural affairs from Arab countries and representatives of different specialized organizations and bodies.

In his address, Dr. AlMalik highlighted the importance of the conference, held in conjunction with the Arabic Language Summit, under the theme ‘Bridging Cultures, Connecting Civilizations’. “My participation in this conference reflects ICESCO’s endeavor to build solid bridges for cooperation and complementarity with ALECSO and the Member States of the two Organizations. We aim to raise joint cultural action to the Arab peoples’ level of aspiration, and accelerate sustainable development in the Islamic world,” explained ICESCO DG.

Dr. AlMalik reviewed ICESCO’s major cultural programs and initiatives geared towards safeguarding the Islamic world’s culture, heritage and historical treasures, notably the establishment of the Heritage Center adopting international standards and norms in heritage inscription, the creation of the Network of International Chairs for Thought, Letters and Arts in cooperation with universities and research centers. In addition, ICESCO launches the “Roads for the Future” Program, the Contemporary Art Gallery, the International Laboratory for rethinking the world through culture, and the Center for Civilizational Dialogue to address the urgent need for an institution that promotes creative work, coexistence and peace, and fosters international partnership with humanitarian organizations.

At the close of his address, ICESCO DG reaffirmed the Organization’s keenness and commitment to developing strategies promoting heritage, cultural creativity, digital economy, publishing and training, as well as mechanisms to support cultural rights, governance and cultural tourism. “We welcome partnerships with international organizations and take pride in cooperating with ALECSO in areas of common interest,” added Dr. AlMalik.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), called for the adoption of sound language policies that accord Arabic its rightful place in the social, scientific, educational and cultural fields.

“The cultural and linguistic identity of countries and populations is one of the backbones of national security. Arab populations are exposed to an overwhelming load of cultural and value-related information online, some positive, some negative,” emphasized ICESCO DG.

This statement was part of his participation in the opening session of the two-day Arabic Language Summit, which kicked off on Sunday, December 19, 2021, under the theme “Bridging Cultures. Connecting Civilizations.” The event is organized by the Ministry of Culture and Youth of the United Arab Emirates, in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre, under the high patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

Dr. AlMalik noted that the Arab world’s contribution to digital content and website creation does not exceed 1.2%, ranking 11th in the world after other languages of limited diffusion, stressing that ICESCO’s new vision and amended Charter attach great importance to Arabic. He added that the Organization works on disseminating the language by contributing to the development of education curricula for non-Arabic speakers all over the world and fostering coordination among educational institutions by supporting the establishment of coordinating bodies and integrating Arabic calligraphy into schools and universities.

ICESCO DG noted the compelling need to develop Arabic translation in the Arab and Islamic worlds to keep pace with the latest innovations, emphasizing that the establishment of national observatories or higher councils of the Arabic language mandated with diagnostic, guidance and foresight will pave the way towards the development of national language policies.

Dr. AlMalik also noted the importance of strategic foresight in anticipating future transformations in the Arabic language, adding that the ICESCO Center of Strategic Foresight, established in 2020, carries out foresight studies in the field of language policies.

In response to an official invitation from the International Camel Organization (ICO), Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), and his accompanying delegation, visited ICO’s 6th edition of King Abdulaziz International Camel Festival, held in cooperation with the Saudi Camel Club. The Festival includes international competitions that attract participants from all over the world and activities valuing the cultural heritage related to camels and desert culture.

Dr. Mubarak Al-Suwailem, ICO Secretary-General, received ICESCO DG and his accompanying delegation, reviewing ICO’s major initiatives, programs and efforts geared towards publicizing and promoting the history and heritage pertaining to camels.

ICESCO DG commended ICO’s achievements, stressing ICESCO’s willingness to continue cooperation between the two parties as part of their partnership agreement signed in April 2021, and the implementation plans of the cooperation programs, mainly the programs on the civilizational and cultural heritage associated with camels and desert culture as well as its inscription on the Islamic World Heritage List.

ICESCO delegation visited the heritage exhibition, held on the Festival’s sidelines, under the theme “Do they not look”, which includes a large number of collections and tools related to camels heritage and culture, as well as one of the Festival’s races. The 6th edition witnessed a remarkable development in its activities and competitions and large participation from all over the world.

ICESCO delegation will also participate in King Abdulaziz International Conference on Camels (Camel Economics and Studies), which will kick off on Sunday, December 19, 2021, with the participation of a group of specialists, intellectuals and other parties interested in camel cultural heritage.

The delegation representing ICESCO at the Conference consists of Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, Deputy Director-General; Ambassador Khalid Fathalrahman, Director of the Center for Civilizational Dialogue; Dr. Said Bah, Advisor to the Director-General for Partnerships and International Cooperation; and Mr. Najib Riati, Cultural Adviser to the Director-General.