Category: Director General

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), emphasized the need for increased efforts to build a promising future for tourism and to make this sector a means for connecting humans, resolving conflicts, and a tool for foresight. Dr. AlMalik affirmed ICESCO’s commitment to developing knowledge related to tourism, thus keeping pace with technological advancements, developing cultural plans, and promoting heritage to raise awareness and enhance tourism destinations.

Dr. AlMalik made these remarks during his participation in the 12th Session of the Islamic Conference of Tourism Ministers (ICTM), organized by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Khiva, Khorezm region, and hosted by the Tourism Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan, under the rallying call, “Developing the Tourism Industry in a Sustainable and Flexible Manner.” The Conference, which is part of celebrating Khiva as the Tourism Capital of the Islamic World for 2024, saw a high-level presence of tourism ministers in the Islamic world, representatives of international organizations, as well as experts and specialists in the field.

Moreover, Dr. AlMalik stated that tourism is a ground for a multitude of ideas and activities related to politics, economy, culture, and arts and a metric for human mobility, global security, peace, and prosperity. Dr. AlMalik emphasized the freedom of mobility and the role of tourism that extends beyond mere leisure, attracting capital and acquiring knowledge and cultures to serve as a diplomatic soft power.

In the same vein, ICESCO Director-General stated that the Organization, given its role in the cultural aspects of tourism, seeks to develop comprehensive tourism strategies. Dr. AlMalik underscored the increasing roles of tourism and the need for pooling efforts to develop more equitable and creative policies that address the risks facing this industry, recalling the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on tourism, with the loss of approximately 900 billion dollars in two years.

Dr. AlMalik presented several recommendations by ICESCO to recover tourism in the Islamic world. These include developing joint plans for the tourism industry, encouraging media to further highlight accomplishments and developments in tourism facilities, establishing a shared tourism information bank, enabling youth in tourism development systems by leveraging artificial intelligence applications, and adopting “intra-regional tourism” among the countries of the Islamic world.

At the end of his speech, Dr. AlMalik expressed gratitude to H.E. Shavkat Mirziyoyev, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Uzbek government for hosting the ICTM, which is dedicated to reviving and developing tourism. Dr. AlMalik also thanked the OIC for its continuous efforts and outstanding initiatives and actions.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met with Ms. Saida Mirziyoyeva, First Assistant to the President of Uzbekistan, to discuss the importance of developing cooperation between ICESCO and Uzbekistan in areas of mutual interest and ways to ensure the success of the celebration of Samarkand, Culture Capital in the Islamic World for 2025.

During the meeting, held on Friday, 31 May 2024, in Tashkent, Dr. AlMalik commended the outcomes of his meeting with H.E. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and His keen interest in enhancing cooperation between the two sides. Dr. AlMalik affirmed that the Organization’s new vision and strategic orientations adopt openness and cooperation with the Member States to accurately identify their trends and needs and design programs and projects tailored to each country in coordination with their National Commissions.

Moreover, ICESCO Director-General outlined the main pillars of the Organization’s strategic vision and reviewed its key initiatives and programs, particularly in supporting and building the capacities of women and youth to face future challenges and enhancing the efforts of Islamic world countries in developing their educational systems through using modern technology and encouraging the Member States to invest in space sciences and other future-oriented fields.

The meeting also touched on several issues of interest to Ms. Saida Mirziyoyeva, including youth, women, girls’ education and the benefits and challenges of artificial intelligence, all of which are areas to which the First Assistant to the President pays close attention and oversees their policy implementation. Dr. AlMalik praised Ms Mirziyoyeva’s remarkable efforts in these areas, which reflect the priorities of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

For her part, Ms. Saida Mirziyoyeva emphasized her country’s commitment to cooperating with ICESCO in its areas of expertise, hailing the Organization’s new vision, which is aligned with the latest developments worldwide.

The meeting was attended by Mr. Anar Karimov, Head of Partnerships and International Cooperation Sector, and Mr. Musallim Afandiyev, an expert in the said sector.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met with Dr. Sarvarkhon Buzrukhonov, Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation of the Republic of Uzbekistan, and together discussed ways to promote cooperation between ICESCO and the Ministry to support scientific research and innovation and provide scholarships for students from the Islamic world to study in Uzbek universities.

At the beginning of the meeting, held on Thursday, May 30, 2024, in Tashkent, the Director-General highlighted the key programs, projects and training workshops implemented by the Organization to build youth’s capacities in the fields of technology, creativity and innovation, noting the great success of the Youth Support Program in establishing and developing emerging technology projects in Uzbekistan.

For his part, Dr. Buzrukhonov commended ICESCO’s efforts in supporting the development of scientific research and innovation for the benefit of the Islamic world, stressing the keenness of the Uzbek Ministry to build fruitful cooperation with the Organization in areas of common interest.

The meeting discussed the establishment of ICESCO Chairs in Uzbek universities and the membership of a number of these universities in ICESCO’s Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World (FUIW). They also discussed Uzbek universities’ participation in the FUIW activities and programs and explored the possibility of holding the next edition of the Federation’s prize, “My Thesis in 1000 Words” in one of Uzbekistan’s universities.

At the close of the meeting, the two parties agreed to sustain coordination to devise practical plans for future cooperation between ICESCO and the Ministry.

H.E. Shavkat Mirziyoyev, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, received Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), at the Presidential Palace on Thursday, 30 May 2024, and discussed ways to enhance cooperation between ICESCO and Uzbekistan in areas of common interest.

At the outset of the meeting, which was attended by the Minister of Culture and the First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan, H.E. President Mirziyoyev praised ICESCO’s roles and initiatives over the past years, stressing his appreciation for the Organization’s cooperation with Uzbekistan and the announcement of Samarkand as Capital of Culture in the Islamic World for 2025.

For his part, Dr. AlMalik applauded the efforts and commitment of H.E. President Mirziyoyev to environmental protection, noting ICESCO’s past participation in the 27th and 28th sessions of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC in Sharm El-Sheikh and Dubai respectively, and its upcoming participation with a large pavilion in COP 29 in Baku, Azerbaijani, next September.

During the meeting, Dr. AlMalik expressed his wish to hold the Samarkand Capital of Culture celebration under the patronage of H.E., the President of Uzbekistan and to have the opening ceremony in his presence. Furthermore, Dr. AlMalik proposed that Uzbekistan host ICESCO’s joint conference of ministers of environment and culture in the Islamic world to discuss the effects of climate change on heritage and archaeological sites and mechanisms to harness modern technology to protect them, to which H.E. the President expressed his agreement.

Moreover, Dr. AlMalik called on Uzbekistan to establish its National Commission to follow up on partnership programs and projects with ICESCO and to cooperate in holding an international conference on Al-Bukhari’s life, biography and publications, with the presence of a large number of Muslim scholars, to shed light on Uzbekistan as one of the centers of Islamic civilization, which gave birth to several scholars who contributed to human civilization. H.E., the President, appreciated and gave his agreement in principle for the implementation of the said proposals.

The meeting also discussed the inscription of Uzbekistan’s heritage on ICESCO’s lists of heritage in the Islamic world and the development of cooperation between the Organization and Uzbekistani competent bodies in education, youth, women and environment.

The meeting was attended by Mr. Anar Karimov, Head of the Partnership and International Cooperation Sector.