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The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) participated in a high-level panel discussion organized by the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID) under the theme “From Manuscripts to Dialogue.” The event was held at the Universidade Católica Portuguesa in Lisbon, Portugal, and brought together a number of leading specialists in religious manuscripts, history, cultural heritage, philology, and interreligious dialogue.

The scientific session, held on Friday, 26 June 2026, opened with remarks by Dr. Idham Hanash, Director of the Calligraphy and Manuscripts Center at ICESCO, who presented the keynote paper titled “The Aesthetics of Manuscripts: Bridges for Cultural Exchange and Foundations of Human Harmony.” In his presentation, he emphasized that manuscripts are among the foremost civilizational testimonies preserving the course of human knowledge throughout history. Far from serving merely as vessels for the transmission of science, literature, and the arts, they have also constituted spaces for civilizational interaction and cultural exchange among nations and peoples.

Dr. Hanash explained that manuscripts represent one of the most significant manifestations of humanity’s civilizational memory, embodying intellectual, aesthetic, and cultural values. He stressed that they are not only vessels of knowledge but also works of art, cultural symbols, and mediums for communication and dialogue. Concluding his presentation, the Head of the Calligraphy and Manuscripts Center called for the organization of an international scientific forum on the aesthetics and cultures of manuscripts, to be jointly organized by ICESCO and KAICIID.

For his part, Dr. Hani Al Balawi, Expert at ICESCO’s Center of Civilizational Dialogue, underscored the importance of strengthening international and regional partnerships in the preservation and digitization of manuscripts. He highlighted the complementary relationship between manuscripts and civilizational dialogue, while presenting the Center of Civilizational Dialogue’s flagship initiatives and projects aimed at fostering understanding among cultures and religions.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) participated in the 6th annual international conference of the British Association of Teachers of Arabic, held on 25 and 26 June 2026 at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, with the participation of more than 50 researchers and academics from the United Kingdom and beyond.

ICESCO was represented by Dr. Majdi Hajj Ibrahim, Head of the Center for Arabic for Non-Arabic Speakers, who delivered a keynote lecture at the opening session entitled “Arabic Language Teaching Curricula: Innovative Design and Continuous Improvement,” offering a critical assessment of the current state of Arabic language curriculum development.

Dr. Adham Muhammad Ali Hamawiya, Head of the Language Development Department at the Center for Arabic for Non-Arabic Speakers, also delivered a lecture titled “The Rational Institutionalization of Arabic Grammatical Heritage: An Epistemological Reading,” highlighting the reciprocal influences among the rational sciences within Arab-Islamic thought.

This participation forms part of ICESCO’s ongoing cooperation with international associations dedicated to the Arabic language, aimed at enhancing its global standing and strengthening its presence in leading academic forums within and beyond the Islamic world.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), in partnership with the Arab World Institute in Paris, held the third meeting of the “ICESCO International Network of Civil Society Organizations for Culture and Development” project, themed “Youth Inclusion Through Arts and Culture.” The meeting brought together experts, cultural actors, and international partners to discuss challenges related to youth and socio-cultural transformations.

The meeting, held via videoconference on Thursday, 25 June 2026, opened with remarks by Dr. Chawki Abdelamir, Director-General of the Arab World Institute in Paris, who chaired the session. He emphasized that contemporary societies are undergoing profound transformations that require moving beyond theoretical approaches toward practical solutions underpinned by an understanding of young people’s aspirations and projects.

In his opening address, Dr. Mohamed Zinelabidine, Head of the Culture Sector at ICESCO, noted that youth represent a strategic priority for the Organization, stressing that the arts and culture have become economic sectors capable of creating jobs, developing skills, and generating added value.

The meeting featured the announcement of a new cooperation program entitled “ICESCO–Arab World Institute: Shared Culture,” which aims to strengthen exchanges among cultural actors, support youth-led initiatives, encourage innovative international cooperation projects, and promote culture as a driver of social inclusion and employment.

The session also featured presentations on several initiatives by participants and members of the ICESCO International Network. Mr. Frédéric Jambu, expert in cultural diplomacy at the Organization, underlined that economic, technological, and social transformations call for recognizing the arts and culture as genuine drivers of inclusion and innovation.

Mr. Adel Mosa, Director of the Nubian Heritage Society in Egypt, reviewed initiatives implemented in partnership with the Egyptian Ministry of Youth in heritage promotion, theater, music, training, and the documentation of folk tales.

In the same context, Mr. Faisal Kiwewa, Director of the Bayimba Cultural Foundation in Uganda, highlighted the importance of professionally training young artists through accredited programs in film, sound engineering, poetry, and cultural journalism.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), in partnership with the Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Foundation, and in cooperation with ICESCO’s Regional Office in Baku, held the closing ceremony of the Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud International Program for Language Training: Arabic Language in Central Asia. The program benefited more than 200 educators and postgraduate students across six phases in Central Asia, covering Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan (two phases in Almaty and Turkistan), as well as Bashkortostan (Russian Federation).

The closing ceremony, held on Monday, 22 June 2026, at ICESCO’s Regional Office in the Azerbaijani capital, was attended by ambassadors of several countries accredited to Azerbaijan, led by Mr. Essam bin Saleh Al Jutaili, Ambassador of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques in Baku, along with representatives of the universities that hosted the training program and several Azerbaijani government officials. The ceremony featured artistic performances reflecting the cultural heritage of Central Asia.

The ceremony opened with remarks by Dr. Abdulhakeem AlSenan, Director of ICESCO’s Regional Office in Baku; Mr. Saleh bin Ibrahim Al-Khulaifi, Director-General of the Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Foundation; Dr. Majdi Hajj Ibrahim, Head of the Arabic Language Center for Non-Arabic Speakers at ICESCO; and Mr. Farrukh Jumayev, Secretary-General of the Azerbaijani National Commission for Education, Science and Culture. All speakers commended the cooperation between ICESCO, the Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Foundation, and the host universities.

The speakers praised the training program for fostering scientific and educational exchange, promoting the status of the Arabic language and its civilization, and promoting cultural diversity through building bridges of communication among ICESCO’s Member States and their peoples, particularly in Central Asia.

It is worth noting that this program was organized under a strategic partnership between ICESCO and the Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Foundation, in cooperation with several universities in the host countries, namely Eurasian University in Baku, Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies, Bishkek State University, Al-Farabi University, Khoja Akhmet Yassawi University, and the Russian Islamic University. Training was delivered by three experts from ICESCO’s Center for Arabic Language for Non-Arabic Speakers.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held an academic lecture on Monday, 22 June 2026, at its headquarters in Rabat, as part of its “Global Thinkers at ICESCO” series, titled “Manuscript Terminology in the East and West.” The lecture was delivered by Dr. Ahmed Chaouki Binebine, Curator of the Hassania Royal Library in Morocco, in the presence of a number of experts and researchers specializing in manuscripts from the Arab world.

The lecture began with an address by Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, delivered on his behalf by Dr. Abdelillah Benarafa, Deputy Director-General, wherein he emphasized that manuscript heritage is a significant part of Arab and Islamic civilization, being the most enduring and comprehensive repository of knowledge from previous civilizations, and the richest in subject matter.

He also highlighted the numerous connections between Arabic manuscripts and those written in other languages, noting that Western philologists played a significant early role in studying manuscripts and defining their terminology, alongside valuable Arab contributions that helped shape the lexicon of codicology.

During the lecture, moderated by Dr. Idham Hanash, Director of the Calligraphy and Manuscripts Center at ICESCO, Dr. Binebine explained that the preparation of the “Dictionary of Arabic Manuscript Terminology: A Codicological Lexicon,” which he co-authored with Dr. Mustapha Toubi, was based on an inductive approach aimed at reviving neglected manuscript terminology. He described manuscripts as one of the key elements of tangible heritage and a living memory preserving the Ummah’s connection to its scientific and cultural past.

The speaker traced the development of manuscript terminology in both Western and Eastern contexts, reviewing scholars’ contributions to advancing manuscript concepts in Arab and non-Arab settings. He noted that the first project to compile a dictionary of manuscript terminology in the Western world dates back to 1953.

Dr. Binebine also addressed Arabic manuscript terminology, highlighting that early scholarly attention to terminology was initially linked to the vocabulary of the Holy Quran and the Prophetic Hadith as well as their interpretation. The need for new lexicons only emerged later, as knowledge expanded and Islamic society evolved.

The meeting concluded with scholarly discussions on the importance of unifying manuscript terminology, strengthening codicological studies in the Islamic world, and enhancing cooperation among specialized institutions to preserve, catalogue and restore manuscripts, making them accessible to researchers.

Rabat: 23 June 2026
As part of its International Forum “Culture for Rethinking the World,” the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held the sixth session of its program “Artists of the World, Guests at ICESCO,” under the theme “Art, Music, and Cultural Management,” with the participation of a number of specialists and experts, marking World Music Day, observed annually on 21 June.

The meeting, held on Friday, 19 June 2026, was opened by Dr. Mohamed Zinelabidine, Head of ICESCO’s Culture Sector, who emphasized the importance of music and the arts in building societies, highlighting ICESCO’s role in promoting cultural exchange, knowledge sharing, and dialogue among creators, academics, and professionals working in the cultural field.

Soprano Samira Kadiri, a specialist in Mediterranean musical heritage, delivered a presentation in which she reviewed the richness of historical interactions among Arab, Andalusian, and Mediterranean musical traditions, noting that music represents a unique space for intercultural dialogue. She also addressed her experience in opera singing, calling for the adoption of creative approaches that combine cultural authenticity with artistic innovation.
For his part, Dr. Fakher Hakima, Director of the Higher Institute of Music of Sousse, Tunisia, focused on the central role of higher artistic education in cultural development, stressing the need to strengthen links between academic institutions, creative sectors, and public policies, so that universities can serve as a genuine driver of cultural and economic development.

Mr. Mahmoud Lemseffer, a Moroccan expert in cultural management, highlighted the importance of music festivals in developing cultural and creative industries, fostering intercultural dialogue, and strengthening openness to the world. He also underlined the need to accord culture a more prominent place within public policies, strengthening mechanisms to support artists, and protecting copyright.

The meeting concluded with remarks by Dr. Idham Hanash, Director of the Center for Calligraphy and Manuscripts at ICESCO, who shed light on the importance of cultural geography in understanding the trajectories of artistic and musical influence and interaction within the Islamic world. He also referred to historical influences originating in Iraq that contributed to shaping musical traditions and enriching Andalusian heritage.

The Directorate General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) organized a celebratory day dedicated to traditional national attire in its Member States, in an initiative reflecting pride in cultural heritage and shared civilizational identity. The event featured a wide variety of traditional garments in a vivid display that showcased the richness and diversity of cultural heritage across the Islamic world and highlighted the historical, symbolic, and aesthetic significance embodied in national dress.

During the celebration, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of ICESCO, emphasized that this initiative reflects the richness of cultural diversity in the Islamic world and underscores the important place occupied by traditional attire as a component of national identity and a means of expressing the distinctive civilizational characteristics of peoples.

Dr. AlMalik noted that over the past six years, the Organization has worked to attract the largest possible number of qualified professionals from its Member States, and that ICESCO’s staff now represent more than 40 countries from within and beyond the Islamic world, which was visibly reflected in this celebration.

ICESCO has designated Friday of every week as National Dress Day, with the aim of strengthening pride in cultural identity and showcasing the civilizational diversity that characterizes its Member States.

Through such initiatives, ICESCO remains committed to safeguarding tangible and intangible cultural heritage and promoting awareness of its importance in reinforcing a sense of belonging and pride in identity, in line with its mission to support cultural diversity and encourage civilizational dialogue among Member States.