Category: News

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held, on Tuesday, 16 December 2025, webinar titled “Rethinking Heritage Conservation in the Digital Age.” The webinar is part of the series of digital seminars organized by the ICESCO Center for Heritage in the Islamic World, aiming to support efforts to preserve and protect the heritage of Member States and to build the capacities of professionals in the field.

The webinar opened with an address by Dr. Webber Ndoro, Director of the ICESCO Center for Heritage in the Islamic World, in which he stressed the importance of harnessing modern technologies for preserving and valorizing heritage, as it constitutes an integral part of peoples’ identity and a pillar of sustainability.

The session was moderated by Mr. Mohamed Al-Absi, Expert at ICESCO’s Center for Heritage, with the participation of four international experts in heritage and digital technologies. The session featured a review of several field experiences and projects of regional and international scope in employing technology to serve heritage.

Dr. Bijan Rouhani, of Oxford University, began the presentations with an overview of the UK-based Endangered Archaeology in the Middle East and North Africa (EAMENA) project, which relies on remote sensing and satellite imagery to monitor and document threatened archaeological sites. Expert Annabel Lee Enriquez, from the Getty Conservation Institute, delivered a presentation on the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and the open-source platform “Arches” for interactive documentation and monitoring of heritage sites.

For her part, expert Giorgia Cesaro, from the Saudi Heritage Commission, outlined mechanisms for leveraging technology to prepare for natural disasters through early warning systems and data analysis to protect heritage. Engineer Mohammed Al Shibli, from Jordan’s Department of Antiquities, concluded the presentations with a review of the latest digital methods for documenting cultural heritage and their role in strengthening the protection of heritage sites.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) participated in the international symposium entitled “Innovative Pathways for Arabic: Policies and Practices for a More Inclusive Linguistic Future,” organized by the Educational Center for the Arabic Language for the Gulf States, in cooperation with ICESCO’s Regional Office in Sharjah, in celebration of World Arabic Language Day.

The symposium, held on Tuesday, 16 December 2025, in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, brought together a select group of experts, academics, and educational decision-makers, who discussed current issues related to the future of Arabic, its teaching policies, the challenges of linguistic inclusiveness, and the role of regional and international institutions in supporting linguistic innovation.

Dr. Youssef Ismaili, an expert at the ICESCO Center of Arabic for Non-Arabic Speakers, represented ICESCO at this event, presenting a paper entitled “Linguistic and Technological Competencies and Their Impact on Arabic Language Learning for Non-Arabic Speakers.”

In his presentation, Dr. Ismaili highlighted the importance of adopting language policies that support innovation in teaching Arabic to non-native speakers. He also stressed the need to standardize reference frameworks and develop language training programmes for teachers in line with international standards to improve learning quality and outcomes.

At the close of the symposium, Dr. Issa Al-Hammadi, Director of the Educational Center for the Arabic Language for the Gulf States, presented honorary shields to Mr. Salem Omar Salem, Director of ICESCO’s Regional Office in Sharjah, and Dr. Youssef Ismaili.

On Tuesday, 16 December 2025, the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held a discussion session to review a report on the state of cultural policies in the Islamic world during the period 2021–2025. The Report includes an analysis of Member States’ cultural policies, in addition to assessments and proposals aimed at strengthening cultural governance, all of which come as part of the work of the ICESCO Center for Holistic Policies, under the Culture Sector.

The Report aims to monitor the status of public cultural policies and to present practical recommendations for coordinated action among Member States and international bodies, thereby contributing to the development of more effective and sustainable cultural systems.

The session was attended by Dr. Mohamed Zinelabidine, Head of ICESCO’s Culture Sector; Dr. Sally Mabrouk, Director of the Office of the Director-General and Acting Head of the Strategy and Institutional Excellence Sector; Ms. Ramata Almamy Mbaye, Head of the Social and Human Sciences Sector; and Dr. Idham Hanash, Director of the Center for Calligraphy and Manuscripts. In his opening remarks, Dr. Zinelabidine commended the efforts of the experts and partner institutions involved in preparing the Report, emphasizing the importance of assessing the current state of cultural policies as a fundamental step in guiding investment in the cultural field.

Subsequently, Dr. Rim Jellouli, ICESCO’s external expert specializing in cultural policies and sustainable development, presented an overview of the Report’s main pillars and methodology. She noted that the Report was prepared with the participation of a multidisciplinary team of experts in economics, technology, statistics, and data science. The discussion also witnessed the participation of representatives from several national cultural institutions, including UNESCO, as well as experts, heads of missions, and international partners.

During the discussion, participating experts stressed the importance of integrating culture into national and regional public agendas, improving the measurement of cultural indicators related to job creation, cultural expenditure, cultural diversity, and universal access to cultural services. The session concluded with an open dialogue on ways to activate the Report’s recommendations and how to align national cultural strategies more closely with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) signed a cooperation agreement to adopt and implement the “Riyadh Charter on AI Ethics in the Islamic World.” The agreement aims to establish a unified and ethical framework for AI governance across Member States, promoting responsible practices, fostering innovation, and addressing shared challenges.

The agreement was signed on Monday, 15 December 2025, at SDAIA’s headquarters in Riyadh by Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, and Dr Abdullah bin Sharaf Alghamdi, President of SDAIA.

Following the signing ceremony, Dr. AlMalik commended SDAIA’s efforts in the field of AI at both national and international levels, noting that the strategic partnership between ICESCO and SDAIA led to the launch of the Riyadh Charter, which supports the development of AI technologies in the Islamic world.

The agreement provides for joint initiatives based on the principles strengthening the Riyadh Charter, jointly launched by ICESCO and SDAIA. These principles include integrity and fairness, privacy and security, reliability and safety, transparency and explainability, accountability and responsibility, humanity, and social and environmental benefits. The agreement also seeks to enhance AI knowledge and skills in ICESCO Member States and ensure the safe use of AI technologies.