Category: Director General

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. 

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), and Dr. Nabil bin Muhammad Al-Luhaidan, General Presidency’s Assistant President for Governance and Legal and Development Affairs, held a meeting to discuss prospects of cooperation between the two institutions.  

During the meeting, held today, Thursday 17 December 2021, following the midday prayer at the Prophet’s Mosque, Dr. Al-Luhaidan highlighted the major initiatives and programs launched by the General Presidency in service of the Two Holy Mosques and the world at large.

For his part, Dr. AlMalik commended the noble efforts that the General Presidency exerts and the leading initiatives it implements in service of the visitors of the Two Holy Mosques, seizing the opportunity to hail to the work of Sheikh Dr. Abdul Rahman Ibn Abdul Aziz al-Sudais, President of the General Presidency. The Director-General also shed light on ICESCO’s major activities, programs and achievements over the last two years.

At the close of the meeting, the two parties agreed to exchange suggestions and ideas on prospective areas of cooperation and joint action. They also reaffirmed their mutual readiness to sign a partnership agreement outlining a set of programs and activities geared towards highlighting the key roles the General Presidency plays in service of Muslims across the globe to consolidate their Muslim identity, promote their unity and facilitate their Hajj and Umrah rites. 

The ICESCO delegation attending the meeting consisted 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. 

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), along with his accompanying delegation, visited the International Exhibition and Museum of the Life of the Prophet and Islamic Civilization in Al-Madinah Al-Munawarah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which is overseen by the Muslim World League. The Director-General took stock of the Exhibit’s collections, which represent a rare historic heritage, and discussed the possibility of exhibiting some of its items in the countries of the Islamic World. 

The visit, made yesterday, Thursday 16 December 2021, at the invitation of the Muslim World League, reflects the strong partnership that ties the Organization and the League in the field of promoting the true image of Islam and redressing misconceptions about it. 

During the tour of the Exhibition and Museum, which is located near the Prophet’s Mosque, the ICESCO delegation listened to a detailed presentation on the innovative techniques used in both the Exhibit, which is the first in a series of Islamic museums that the Islamic World League intends to inaugurate in several cities across the globe.  

At the end of the visit, Dr. Mohammed Ali Al-Ghamdi, Advisor to the Secretary-General of the Muslim World League, presented ICESCO Director-General with the Exhibit’s Shield. 

The Exhibition specializes in publicizing the values and principles of Islam and consists of many pavilions dedicated to highlighting the Prophet’s life in Makkah Al-Mukaramah and Al-Madinah Al-Munawarah. It employs modern tools to publicize all prophets and capitalizes on innovative ways to display the Constitution of Al-Madinah, along with Makkah’s Declaration, a recent document that embodies the efforts of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in service of the Holy Quran and the Noble Sunnah. 

ICESCO delegation consisted 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. 

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), stressed that the Arabic language owes its prominent status in the international arena to its beauty and richness. “Artificial intelligence and digital transformation bear a tremendous technical potential for raising the status of Arabic and developing programs aimed at teaching and learning the language for Arabic and non-Arabic speakers,” emphasized ICESCO DG.

This statement is part of the scientific paper that Dr. AlMalik presented during the first international conference organized by the Quran Language Endowment at King Abdulaziz University in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, under the theme “Arabic Language and Digital Transformation”. The Conference proceedings kicked off, on Wednesday, December 15, 2021, in the presence and under the high patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Advisor to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, Governor of Makkah Al-Mukarramah Region, Honorary President of the Quran Language Endowment.

The opening of the two-day Conference, at the headquarters of Makkah Province, in Jeddah, was attended by eminent scientists, researchers and officials. In his scientific paper entitled “Towards an International Arabic Language in the Era of Digitization and Artificial Intelligence… ICESCO’s Vision and Initiatives,” ICESCO DG noted that Arabic is one of the most used languages ​​on the internet, stressing that greater work, care and commitment need to be invested in planning, language policies development, scientific research, knowledge exchange, educational development, digital presence and publicizing.

Dr. AlMalik called for further cooperation and coordination among the ICESCO Member States to support the Arabic language and raise it to the highest levels, develop more viable Arabic applications, create more Arabic websites and enhance Arabic digital content. He highlighted the need to enhance the contribution of Arabic to the development of artificial intelligence, the incorporation of ethical principles into its applications, the promotion of translation to localize science and technology, and the digitization of Arabic to protect it and enhance its civilizational, scientific and creative contribution.

ICESCO DG reviewed the major initiatives implemented by ICESCO Center of Arabic for Non-Arabic Speakers since its inception, in February 2020, namely conferences, programmes, activities and competitions that involved all ICESCO Member States.
In appreciation of the efforts he exerted in the service of the Organization and the Arabic language, Dr. AlMalik received the Shield of the Quran Language Endowment during the opening ceremony. The Conference also paid tribute to the late Professor Dr. Muhammad Khader Arif, the prominent linguist, may Allah rest his soul in peace, for his literary, cultural and linguistic contributions. 

At the close of their meeting, in Cairo, on Thursday (December 9, 2021), the participants in the 14th Session of the General Conference of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) addressed a letter of thanks and gratitude to His Excellency President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, for his kind patronage of the conference, the Egyptian generous hospitality and the continuous support he provides to joint Islamic action to serve the issues of Islamic action and advance the Islamic world in all fields.

In their letter, the participants expressed their deep appreciation for President El-Sisi’s wise forward-looking vision outlined in the National Sustainable Development Strategy (Egypt Vision 2030), especially the pioneering efforts in the fields of education, science, technology, culture and communication by laying the foundations of quality in the relevant national systems, strengthening cooperation and partnerships with relevant international parties, and adopting proactive approaches to grant Egypt a leading position in building the future and enhance its roles in achieving integration and solidarity among Muslim countries.

At the close of this letter, which was read out by Dr. Salim M. Al-Malik, ICESCO Director-General, at the closing session of the Conference, the participants beseeched Allah Almighty to bestow further progress and prosperity upon Egypt and its people, under the wise leadership of President El-Sisi.

The General Conference of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), which was hosted by Egypt under the high patronage of President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, concluded its proceedings on Thursday, December 9, 2021, by adopting resolutions and composing the respective bureaus of the General Conference and the Executive council.

The working sessions of the closing day saw constructive discussions on the future of education and the importance of investing in space sciences. The sessions kicked off with statements by the heads of the participating delegations, who commended ICESCO’s efforts to address the needs of Member States in the fields of education, science and culture, highlighting its successful approach to promote coordination, cooperation, innovation and exchange of knowledge and expertise.

The second working session focused on educational challenges in a post-COVID-19 world, which featured a lecture by Mr. Kailash Satyarthi, Founder of Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation and Nobel Prize Laureate, 2014, who expressed his delight for the special partnership between the Foundation and ICESCO in its capacity as a beacon of global outreach. The Nobel Prize Laureate reaffirmed the importance of exerting joint efforts to protect children, counter school dropout and protect children’s rights against all violations.

For her part, Ms. Kathryn Thornton, Chairwoman of the US Space Foundation, gave a lecture during the third working session dedicated to space sciences and highlighted the importance of this scientific discipline in promoting sustainable development.

The General Conference approved several key resolutions, including the Report of the Executive Council on its Activities between the 13th and 14th Sessions of the General Conference; ICESCO’s Report on its Activities between 2019-2021; and ICESCO’s Financial Reports for 2018-2020. The Conference also adopted ICESCO’s Report on Member States’ Contributions for 2018-2020 and Improvement of ICESCO’s Financial Sustainability; the Organization’s Vision; the Draft Strategic Orientations by 2025; the Draft Two-Year Action Plan and Budget for 2022-2023; the Draft ICESCO Chairs Regulations; the Draft Regulations of the Young Professionals Programme; the Draft Charter of the National Commissions for ICESCO; and the Implementation of ICESCO’s New Organizational Structure and Relevant Development Proposals.

The Conference approved the Proposed Amendments to the Observer Status Regulations, the Personnel and the Report on Developing ICESCO’s External Organs, and the General Principles and Guidelines Governing their Action. The Conference also approved the members of the Executive Council and decided to hold the 15th Session of the ICESCO General Conference in December 2025 at ICESCO headquarters in Rabat, Morocco In his closing remarks, Dr. Salim AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General (DG), expressed his thanks and gratitude to President El Sisi for his patronage of the 14th Session of the General Conference and to His Majesty King Mohamed VI of Morocco, may Allah preserve him, for his sustained support and high patronage of ICESCO’s programs and initiatives. The DG also expressed his thanks to the kings and heads of ICESCO Member States for their support for ICESCO.

The DG conveyed his thanks to Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, President of the Egyptian Commission for Education, Science and Culture, President of the 14th Session of ICESCO General Conference, as well as to the representatives of the international and regional organizations taking part in the Conference for their valuable input and constructive recommendations on issues pertaining to education, science, technology and culture.

The DG concluded his remarks by reaffirming ICESCO’s commitment to continue its development and improvement efforts to promote work quality to sustain its role as a leading international organization, guided by a strategic vision that takes into account the contents of the plans, documents, and recommendations adopted by the 14th Session of the Conference.

Dr. Abdel Ghaffar, President of ICESCO General Conference, announced the close of the Conference proceedings, expressing his thanks and appreciation to the delegations taking part in this session and congratulating them on the success made over these two days of intensive work, which reflected the unanimous agreement on ICESCO’s priorities in service of Member States.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology of Saudi Arabia signed a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in spreading technical awareness, enriching technical Arabic content, and exchanging expertise to promote policies pertinent to smart technologies, artificial intelligence, big data, and innovation policies.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of ICESCO, and Engineer Haitham bin Abdulrahman Al-Ohali, Deputy Minister of Communications and Information Technology in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, signed the memorandum of understanding in Cairo during the 14th General Conference of ICESCO held on December 8-9, 2021, and hosted by the Arab Republic of Egypt under the patronage of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.

The memorandum of understanding seeks to step up cooperation in exchanging expertise in the development of professionals’ leadership, practical and technical skills in the fields of artificial intelligence, smart technologies and innovation. It also aims to further cooperation in the preparation of joint research papers in these fields, promote the exchange of best practices for the advancement of scientific research and emerging technologies, contribute to supporting artificial intelligence projects, ICESCO Digital Home initiative and the Organization’s digital cultural project.

Other objectives of the memorandum include the commitment of the Ministry to provide ICESCO’s beneficiary Member States access to the “Attaa Digital” initiative and develop the relevant platform based on their public policies, jointly promote the initiative’s activities, transfer the necessary expertise and practices to the working team in each Member State, and share statistics relating to the initiative’s activities participants and beneficiaries. In this respect, ICESCO will make the necessary legal arrangements to launch the initiative, determine the official entity in charge of managing the platform and following up on its performance, help publicize the initiative and engage a legal expert from the Organization to provide advisory services to the entity responsible for implementing the initiative.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), H.H. Sheikh Rashed bin Hamdan Al Maktoum, and Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, President of the Egyptian National Commission for Education, Science and Culture, presented awards to winners of the First and Second Editions of Hamdan-ICESCO Prize for Voluntary Development of Education Facilities in the Islamic World.

The award ceremony was held during the 14th Session of ICESCO General Conference, hosted by Egypt, under the patronage of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. Launched by ICESCO and the Foundation to promote voluntary initiatives and charitable work in the field of education, the Prize is awarded biennially to three winners who each receive the Prize Shield and a monetary reward, which is to be used in supporting and developing the winning project or work. 

The winners of the First Edition were as follow: “Fa’il Khir Project,” with support from tie Islamic Development Bank (IsDB); the Project of “Information Technology Faculty as Birzeit University and Other Projects in Palestine,” with support from Munib Rasheed Al-Masri Foundation; and the “Schools in the Emirati Jordanian Camp Project,” with support from the Emirati Red Crescent (ERC).

As for the Second Edition, the winners were as follows: “To brighten their Future Project for Developing Educational Institutions and Curricula,” with support from the International Charity Organization in Ajman, UAE; the “Educational Hubs Projects,” with support from Abdul Aziz, Mohammed, Abdullatif Aljabr Charity Organization in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; and the “Project of Teaching Arabic in a Bilingual Education System in Chad,” with support from the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA). The Second Edition saw the participation of 37 candidates from the Arab, Asian and African regions. 

Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and Coursera, Inc. signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to help learners across the countries of the Islamic World develop high-demand digital skills at scale. ICESCO and Coursera plan to launch the Future Pioneers Project, in January 2022, to provide selected access to world-class online learning and the Future Skills Learning Programme to upskill ICESCO’s leadership team.

Dr. Salim AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General (DG), and Jeff Maggioncalda, CEO at Coursera, signed the MoU on the sidelines of the 14th Session of the ICESCO General Conference held on December 8 and 9, 2021 in Cairo, Egypt under the patronage of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.

“Working with Coursera will support youth and our staff in acquiring the contemporary skills they need to succeed in their future careers,” said Dr. AlMalik, noting that “this partnership will provide invaluable support as ICESCO enters a new pivotal period in its history, and serves as an international beacon in the fields of education, science, culture and communication.”

From his part, Jeff Maggioncalda, CEO at Coursera stated that “the accelerated adoption of online learning during the pandemic has created new opportunities to develop digital skills at unprecedented speed and scale.” He also added, “We are honored to partner with ICESCO to help youth across the Islamic states develop the skills and credentials needed to advance their education and careers in the new economy.”

The provisions of the MoU aim to further ICESCO’s mission to assist countries of the Islamic World by nurturing tomorrow’s decision-makers, sharing expertise, optimizing development policies, and building systems of innovation and knowledge. The ICESCO-Coursera initiative will equip learners from the countries of the Islamic world and ICESCO’s staff with the entrepreneurial, digital, and technological skills required to drive innovation and leadership across the Islamic world and unlock the next generation of talent. Through the Coursera for Campus platform, learners will have access to more than 5,000 high-quality online courses from over 250 leading university and industry partners worldwide. Course content will also be available in English, Arabic, and French, and the pilot will run until the end of March 2022.