Category: News update

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), on Thursday, 25 September 2025, received the Egyptian artist Mohamed Sarwat at the Organization’s headquarters in Rabat. The meeting explored opportunities for producing meaningful artistic and cultural works in the near future.

Dr. AlMalik highlighted ICESCO’s commitment to supporting culture and arts and safeguarding Arab and Islamic heritage, with a particular emphasis on poetry. He also reviewed the Organization’s key initiatives in this area, including the “Cities of Poetry” Competition, the World Poetry Day celebration, and various activities designed to preserve poetry’s place in the cultural memory of the Islamic world.

Moreover, the two parties considered organizing a seminar on the role of art in promoting Islamic values among youth and families, aimed at reinforcing the positive image of arts. They also reached a preliminary agreement to collaborate on the production of sung poems composed by Dr. AlMalik in praise of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), to be performed by Mohamed Sarwat.

At the close of the meeting, Mohamed Sarwat expressed his delight at visiting ICESCO and affirmed his willingness to contribute to the Organization’s cultural and artistic initiatives, particularly those targeting young people. He commended ICESCO’s efforts in preserving identity and promoting the values of peace and dialogue. The visit concluded with a tour of the Organization’s facilities and projects, as well as the International Exhibition and Museum of the Prophet’s Biography, housed at ICESCO headquarters.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met with Mr. Fabio Chinda, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Thailand to the Kingdom of Morocco, at the Organization’s headquarters in Rabat on Thursday, 25 September 2025. The meeting aimed to coordinate the arrangements for the upcoming visit of an ICESCO delegation, headed by Dr. AlMalik, to Thailand in October.

The two parties discussed the main highlights of the visit, including Dr. AlMalik’s keynote address as Guest of Honor at the 3rd International Conference on the Arabic Language of International Islamic College Bangkok, in addition to holding a series of meetings with several ministers and prominent religious leaders in the Kingdom.

Dr. AlMalik reaffirmed the Organization’s keenness to strengthen cooperation and build fruitful partnerships with its Observer Member States, in a way that allows the exchange of expertise across various fields, foremost among them heritage protection, scientific research development, fostering a culture of knowledge, and advancing the educational system both within and beyond the Islamic world.

For his part, Ambassador Chinda emphasized that Thailand will work to ensure the success of ICESCO’s visit and to lay solid foundations for partnership and cooperation between the Organization and the Kingdom, with the aim of developing programs and projects in educational fields, youth capacity-building, and the promotion of peace.

The meeting was attended by Dr. Hani Al Balawi, Expert at the Organization’s Center for Civilizational Dialogue.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received Dr. Mohammad Ibrahim Al-Zakari, President of the Arab Open University in the Arab world (AOU), on Thursday, 25 September 2025, at the Organization’s headquarters in Rabat. The meeting discussed ICESCO’s support for the AOU’s efforts to establish a new branch in the Kingdom of Morocco.

At the outset of the meeting, Dr. AlMalik reaffirmed ICESCO’s commitment to strengthening cooperation with universities and supporting them as beacons of knowledge in the Islamic world. He highlighted the Organization’s distinguished scientific and research partnerships with leading academic institutions and the establishment of research chairs in several universities across Member States and beyond. Dr. AlMalik also stressed ICESCO’s support for initiatives aimed at advancing universities in the Islamic world, whether academically, through research, or geographically, by launching new branches in Member States.

For his part, Dr. Al-Zakari commended ICESCO’s efforts in supporting educational and academic institutions in the Islamic world and expressed his aspiration to build bilateral cooperation with the Organization, particularly in support of AOU’s plan to open a new branch in Morocco.

The meeting was attended by Dr. Omar Halli, Advisor to the ICESCO Director-General for the Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World (FUIW), and Dr. Abdullah Al Mulhim, Expert at ICESCO’s Partnerships and International Cooperation Sector.

It is worth noting that the idea of establishing a non-profit Open University in the Arab world was initiated by HRH Prince Talal Bin Abdulaziz, may God rest his soul. In 1996, HRH Prince Talal officially announced the concept of establishing the Arab Open University as a non-conventional academic institution and as a foundation which contributes to steering development in scientific, social, and cultural spheres. This initiative developed in 2002 into a full-fledged Arab Open University in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and nine other Arab countries, in strategic partnership with the Open University in the United Kingdom.

Dr. Salim AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received Mr. Abdelilah Benkirane, former Prime Minister of Morocco, during his visit to the Organization’s headquarters in Rabat on Thursday, 25 September 2025. Dr. AlMalik began the meeting, which was also attended by Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, Deputy Director-General, and a number of other ICESCO leaders, by reviewing ICESCO’s vision and strategic orientations, and highlighting the programs and initiatives it implements in its Member States.

The ICESCO Director-General reviewed the most significant transformations undergone by the Organization and its structure over the past five years, including the modification of the Organization’s name to disambiguate the nature of its competencies and highlight its openness to various parties with the aim of serving the countries of the Islamic world and beyond, as well as the creation of several new sectors and centers specializing in media and communication, strategy and institutional excellence, civilizational dialogue, the Arabic language, calligraphy and manuscripts, poetry and literature, foresight, and artificial intelligence.

Dr. AlMalik also stated that relations with Morocco, the seat country, have developed remarkably over the past few years. ICESCO has implemented some 370 activities in cooperation with the Moroccan authorities, a number of which have enjoyed the royal patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may Allah protect him. These include hosting the International Exhibition and Museum of the Prophet’s Seerah and Islamic Civilization, which was inaugurated by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Moulay Hassan of Morocco and has attracted around nine million visitors to date.

For his part, Mr. Benkirane praised the Organization’s recent developments, noting that visiting its headquarters and seeing these developments was like rediscovering ICESCO and its pioneering role.

Dr. AlMalik then took Mr. Benkirane on a tour of the Organization’s departments and specialized centers, as well as the Exhibition and the International Museum of the Prophet’s Seerah.

As part of the celebration of International Literacy Day, the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), in partnership with the Moroccan Manahile Games, held an international symposium titled: “Learning by Playing: Board Games as Tools for Education, Spiritual and Socio-Cultural Preservation.” The Symposium featured high-level participation from senior officials, education experts, and representatives of relevant international organizations, as well as 150 students who interacted with a special presentation of a board game designed to educate about the life of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

The Symposium, held on Wednesday, 24 September 2025, at the Organization’s headquarters in Rabat, aimed to highlight the educational and cultural value of games as tools for learning and to demonstrate their educational benefits in the areas of literacy and critical thinking. It also aimed to promote dialogue between teachers, cultural experts, and game designers on integrating games into educational contexts and to provide students with practical experience within the framework of learning through playing games.

The opening session of the Symposium began with a speech by Dr. Salim Al-Malik, ICESCO’s Director-General, delivered on his behalf by Ambassador Khalid Fathalrahman, Director of ICESCO’s Centre for Civilizational Dialogue. In his speech, Dr. Al-Malik affirmed ICESCO’s belief in the pivotal role of educational games in learning. He stressed the need to invest in the research and development of such games, integrate game-based learning in school curricula, and forge partnerships with innovators and game developers. He also emphasized the importance of empowering young people to produce games and to enhance their knowledge and innovation.

Then, Mr. Waqas Afridi, education expert at ICESCO, presented ICESCO’s strategic vision for education, highlighting its promotion of games as an educational tool for knowledge acquisition.

Dr. Amin El-Majhad, educational game designer and president of Manahile Games, reviewed an international analysis of 27 studies that confirmed the role of educational games in improving children’s knowledge and cognitive functions, enhancing their motivation, and developing their social relationships.

This was followed by a panel discussion moderated by Ms. Haddy Jatou Sey, Head of the Education Sector at ICESCO, which addressed the challenges and opportunities offered by digital and non-digital educational games and the integration of game-based learning in schools. Ms. Sey emphasized the collective responsibility to reimagine educational models in order to enhance the quality and inclusiveness of education.

The session was attended by prominent representatives from the Moroccan Ministry of National Education, Primary Education and Sports, the Moroccan Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication, the Hassan II Mosque Foundation, UNESCO, UNICEF, and the British Council, who emphasized the importance of international partnerships to support educational transformation through alternative methods toward quality learning.

The Symposium also included an interactive workshop in which 150 students participated, featuring a live presentation of an educational board game about the life of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).