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Launch of “World Artists, Guests of ICESCO” series to harness creativity in intercultural dialogue

Posted on 30 January 202630 January 2026 by abdelmohcine.benhlal

As part of the ICESCO Forum “Culture for Rethinking the World,” the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) launched a new series of dialogue sessions entitled “World Artists, Guests of ICESCO,” with the aim of harnessing artistic creativity in efforts to promote intercultural dialogue by hosting contemporary artistic figures who contribute to enriching cultural debate and affirming the status of art as a universal language for peace and coexistence.

Dr. Mohammed Zine El Abidine, Head of the Culture Sector at ICESCO, opened the first discussion session, held on Thursday, January 29, 2026, with a speech highlighting that this series is part of the forum’s vision to make culture a space for action and reflection, stressing that artists are not merely creators, but partners in producing meaning, transferring experiences, and promoting rapprochement between peoples.

After that, the discussion session kicked off, featuring two prominent figures from the international art scene via video conferencing, Amadi Lagha, a world-renowned opera singer, and Manuel Delgado, a Spanish flamenco guitarist and composer, who presented their experiences and artistic careers in an interactive discussion with participants.

During his presentation, Amadi Lagha reviewed his academic and artistic career, which took shape in Tunisia, France, and Italy, emphasizing the need to renew approaches to music education in order to give emerging artists greater freedom and scope for innovation.

For his part, Manuel Delgado highlighted his career, rooted in Andalusian heritage, which he shaped through his education in several European cities, considering that fidelity to artistic identity is not incompatible with openness and emphasizing that music has a unique ability to bridge cultures.

The session was moderated by Mr. Frédéric Jambu, expert in cultural diplomacy at ICESCO, who presented the general framework of the new concept and its objectives, highlighting the strategic role of art in renewing contemporary cultural dialogue and promoting understanding between peoples.

ICESCO Director-General visits Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale in Saudi Arabia

Posted on 30 January 202630 January 2026 by abdelmohcine.benhlal

At the invitation of the Ministry of Culture of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), visited Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale, which opened its third edition on Friday, January 30, 2026, in Diriyah, under the theme “In Interludes and Transitions,” with the participation of sixty-eight artists from more than 37 countries.

On this occasion, Dr. AlMalik said that the Diriyah Biennale affirms the status and presence of contemporary art and its ability to be a mirror of the memory of peoples and a human language that transcends borders, noting that the third edition of the Biennale reveals the deep roots of art in peoples’ cultures and memories, and its role in shaping their consciousness and future.

The Director-General of ICESCO emphasized that the Biennale is the fruit of concerted efforts that reflect some of the prospects of the Kingdom’s 2030 Vision as a forward-looking cultural vision that strides confidently toward a future shaped by culture and arts as one of the pillars of the Saudi renaissance.

Dr. AlMalik congratulated the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on this achievement, calling on Member States to promote contemporary art and place it at the forefront of their national agendas.

ICESCO Calls for Adoption of Educational Plans That Incorporate Artificial Intelligence Technologies at an International Conference in Riyadh

Posted on 28 January 2026 by MOHAMED.AQEIL

Dr. AlMalik: Artificial Intelligence Is a Platform for Improving Quality of Life, Shifting Societies from Sufficiency to Creativity

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), emphasized that artificial intelligence has become a new platform for improving the quality of life, increasing job opportunities, and consolidating the pillars of effective governance, thus taking societies from sufficiency to societal creativity and promoting sustainable development.

His remarks came on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, during the two-day International Conference on Data and AI Capacity Building (ICAN 2026), organized by the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) in Riyadh, in partnership with King Saud University and the Human Capability Development Program (HCDP), in the presence of experts and specialists from more than 50 local and international bodies, to discuss the future of humanity in education and work in the age of artificial intelligence.

Dr. AlMalik shed light on the Riyadh Charter of Artificial Intelligence for the Islamic World, launched by ICESCO in partnership with SDAIA, as an ethical and strategic reference framework that guides the responsible development and use of artificial intelligence and promotes its use in the service of humanity and sustainable development, stressing that capacity building is the key to reducing development gaps.

In this regard, the ICESCO Director-General called on the ministries of education of Member States to adopt educational plans that incorporate artificial intelligence technologies into educational curricula, while including the principles of the Riyadh Charter with its ethical foundations.

Dr. AlMalik also warned of rapid changes in the job market, noting that artificial intelligence will lead to a decline in the number of traditional jobs, which will be replaced by emerging jobs with new names and skills, requiring accelerated efforts in preparation and continuous training.

In this context, the ICESCO Director-General commended the measures adopted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, to keep pace with this historic transformation through human capacity development programs, the development of the education and training system, and the anticipation of future skills.

For his part, Dr. Kais Hammami, Director of ICESCO’s Center for Foresight and Artificial Intelligence, participated in one of the conference sessions entitled “From National Data and Artificial Intelligence Strategies to Measurable Impact,” in which he reviewed ICESCO’s Artificial Intelligence Index in the Islamic World, emphasizing that it is a practical tool for assessing readiness, identifying gaps, and supporting policies in Member States.

ICESCO Launches First Session of Doctoral Research Symposia on New Cultural Policies

Posted on 23 January 202623 January 2026 by Soukaina Azzabi

With the participation of a host of deans, professors, and doctoral researchers, the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) launched the first session of its series of “Doctoral Research Symposia: ICESCO Strategies for New and Sustainable Cultural Policies in the Islamic World,” in partnership with the Euro-Mediterranean University in the Kingdom of Morocco. The series aims to exchange sound proposals and draw on the Organization’s expertise to develop more effective strategies in the fields of cultural industries and creative economies.

During the launch, held at the University’s headquarters on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, Dr. Mohamed Zinelabidine, Head of ICESCO’s Culture Sector, stressed the need to review cultural strategies in the Islamic world, pointing to the lack of accurate indicators to measure cultural growth and performance in the Member States.

He explained that this work will support ICESCO’s efforts in this field by conducting studies and research aimed at addressing the shortcomings observed in cultural management within the Islamic world, especially when compared to the tangible progress made by cultural policies in the West and Asia.

The series of symposia came to fruition thanks to the close cooperation efforts between the Organization’s Culture Sector and the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at the Euro-Mediterranean University of Fez (UEMF), within the framework of the ICESCO Chair for Arts, Sciences, and Civilizations hosted by the university.

ICESCO Agrees with Arab Publishers’ Association to Supply Arabic Publications to its Digital Library

Posted on 23 January 202623 January 2026 by Soukaina Azzabi

The Translation and Publishing Center of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held a meeting with the Arab Publishers’ Association on Thursday, 22 January 2026, in Cairo, to explore ways of strengthening cooperation in the fields of writing, publishing, and translation.

During the meeting, the two parties reached an agreement in principle to make a selection of publications from Arab publishing houses affiliated with the Arab Publishers’ Association available through ICESCO’s digital library for a period of 12 months. This initiative is part of joint efforts to disseminate science and knowledge and provide reliable content for Arab readers while safeguarding publishers’ rights. The discussions also covered mechanisms for developing joint cultural projects and activities to exchange expertise in digitizing writing and publishing.

The meeting was attended by Dr. Ahmed Albanyan, Head of the Translation and Publishing Center, and Dr. Mohamed Rashad, President of the Arab Publishers’ Association. Dr. Albanyan emphasized the importance of cultural cooperation between international organizations and regional institutions and centers, and reviewed the challenges facing the publishing sector in Arab and Islamic countries, notably the protection of intellectual property rights and the promotion of the distribution of Arabic books.

Exploring Cooperation Venues between ICESCO and Several Egyptian Translation and Knowledge Production Institutions

Posted on 21 January 202621 January 2026 by Soukaina Azzabi

A delegation from the Translation and Publishing Center at the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held, on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, a series of meetings with Egyptian translation and knowledge institutions to explore ways to promote cooperation in the fields of translation, knowledge production, and heritage document preservation.

As part of this working visit to Cairo, the delegation, headed by Dr. Ahmed Albanyan, Director of the Center of Translation and Publishing, held a meeting with Dr. Rasha Saleh, Director of the National Translation Center, to review the reality and challenges facing the field of translation, explore development mechanisms, and discuss possible areas of cooperation in the fields of translation and publishing, in such a way as to promote knowledge production and exchange.

Likewise, the delegation met with Dr. Huwaidah Kamel, General Supervisor of Dar Al-Kutub at Bab Al-Khalq. The delegation took stock of the efforts exerted to preserve written heritage and restore manuscripts, in addition to the documentation and archiving mechanisms in use, and the role assumed by this institution in providing researchers and interested parties with access to knowledge sources. The two parties also exchanged visions on cooperation venues in the fields of documentation, cultural memory preservation, and scientific research promotion.

The meetings were attended by a delegation from the Egyptian National Commission for Education, Science and Culture, headed by Dr. Ramy Magdy, Assistant Secretary-General for ALECSO and ICESCO.

In Tunis, ICESCO Launches Future Leaders Qualification Programme for MENA Region

Posted on 20 January 202620 January 2026 by MOHAMED.AQEIL

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) has launched the programme entitled “Future Leaders Qualification: Developing International Skills for Sustainable Youth Leadership in the Middle East and North Africa,” in partnership with Prince Mohammad bin Fahd University in Saudi Arabia, and Tunisia’s Ministry of Youth and Sports, Ministry of Education, and National Youth Observatory. The programme is implemented as part of the activities of the Prince Mohammad bin Fahd – ICESCO Chair for Intergenerational Human Leadership and Building Future Societies.

Launched on Monday, 19 January 2026, in Tunis, the programme aims to strengthen the skills of young leaders from the MENA region and promote a culture of foresight and strategic planning. It also seeks to develop communication and critical thinking skills to keep pace with technological and socio-economic transformations, and to raise awareness of the ethical use of artificial intelligence through interactive workshops, youth-led dialogue sessions, and experience-sharing activities on mechanisms of innovation and creativity.

Representing ICESCO at the opening session of the launch ceremony, Dr. Kais Hammami, Head of the Center for Foresight and Artificial Intelligence, highlighted the Organization’s efforts to build youth capacities and enhance their skills through various programmes and projects in the fields of entrepreneurship, modern technologies, and innovation. He also underscored the Center’s role in advancing strategic foresight, artificial intelligence, critical thinking, and future skills and professions across Member States.

For his part, Foued Ouni, Director-General of the National Youth Observatory in Tunisia, emphasized the central role of national youth policies and regional initiatives, noting the importance of adopting a culture of foresight as a key component of building the future.

ICESCO Concludes “Language Immersion” Program for Arabic Learners in Southeast Asia

Posted on 19 January 202619 January 2026 by MOHAMED.AQEIL

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) concluded the activities of the regional project “Language Immersion for Arabic Learners in Southeast Asia,” which were held in Indonesia, Cambodia, and Malaysia over a period of two months in each country, with the aim of providing a stimulating learning environment that makes learning Arabic an enjoyable experience with cognitive and communicative impact.

The activities, held in partnership with the Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Medical and Educational Sciences and in collaboration with MS Asia for Educational Services and Development, concluded with a ceremony on Saturday, January 17, 2026, in Putrajaya, Malaysia, attended by a number of high-level officials, experts, and public figures. Dr. Majdi Haji Ibrahim, head of ICESCO’s Center of Arabic Language for Non-Native Speakers, represented the Organization.

In his speech, Dr. Majdi emphasized the Organization’s commitment to expanding the presence of the Arabic language globally through quality educational projects, highlighting that language immersion programs are a practical lever for promoting Arabic language teaching and supporting sustainable educational and cultural development goals.

As part of strengthening the capacities of program supervisors, ICESCO organized a training session titled “Preparing Programs and Curricula for Teaching Arabic as a Foreign Language” for experts, teachers, and researchers from several countries, including Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia, Syria, Jordan, Palestine, Yemen, Sudan, and Somalia.

ICESCO Releases Fifth Issue of Its Cultural Magazine, Featuring Dossiers and Interviews on Intellectual and Literary Issues

Posted on 17 January 202617 January 2026 by MOHAMED.AQEIL

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) has released the fifth issue of its quarterly cultural magazine, published under the supervision of the Organization’s Center for Poetry and Literature. The issue includes a collection of articles, interviews, and studies addressing contemporary intellectual, literary, and cultural issues in the Arab and Islamic worlds.

The issue features a main dossier entitled “Women’s Literature: The Crisis of Terminology and the Horizons of Imagination,” comprising a set of articles by a number of critics and specialists. Among them are an article by critic and writer Dr. Abdullah Ibrahim entitled “Feminist Narrative: The Boundaries of the Concept and Its Conditions,” and an article by Saudi writer Dr. Mona Al-Maliki entitled “From the Question of Existence to the Stakes of Writing: On the Problematics of Terminology and the Necessity of the Feminist Question.”

The issue also includes a special interview with Dr. Hussein Abdel-Razzak Al-Jazairy, former Saudi Minister of Health and founder of the first Faculty of Medicine in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1969, who also served as Director of the World Health Organization’s Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean for thirty years. In addition, Dr. Salim Al Habsi, Director of the General Secretariat of National Commissions and Conferences at ICESCO, offers a reading of the roles of the ICESCO Regional Center in Sharjah in an article entitled “The Sharjah Center: ICESCO’s Radiance on the Shores of the Arabian Gulf.”

The content of the issue extends to topics in language, literature, and cultural history. Among them is an article by researcher Uday Sattam from Syria on the influence of the Arabic language on the poetry of Hafez Shirazi; a study by Dr. Turba bent Ammar from Mauritania entitled “Sufi Literature in the Western Islamic World during the Medieval and Modern Periods: A Reading in Methodology and Style”; and a study by Dr. Adel Aref from Jordan entitled “Artificial Intelligence as an Authoritarian Discourse,” which traces transformations in technological discourse and its intersections with power and meaning, reflecting the diversity of approaches and multiplicity of perspectives within the issue.

ICESCO Holds Training Workshop on Using 3D Printing in Industry in Senegal

Posted on 16 January 202616 January 2026 by MOHAMED.AQEIL

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) organized a training workshop titled “Exploring the Role of 3D Printing in the Fourth Industrial Revolution” in Dakar, Republic of Senegal, in cooperation with CNC Shape-Dakar and the COMSTECH Committee. The workshop aimed to build the capacities of students, professionals, and entrepreneurs through practical knowledge and applied skills in innovative industries.

Held from 12 to 15 January 2026, both in person and via videoconferencing, the workshop featured theoretical sessions and hands-on training to familiarize participants with mechanisms for designing 3D models, building prototypes, and applying practical uses in various sectors such as mechanical manufacturing, healthcare, construction, and the automotive industry.

Dr. Adel Smeda, Supervisor of the Science and Environment Sector, represented ICESCO at the opening session, emphasizing that the initiative reflects the Organization’s vision and strategy to support and equip youth with the skills needed to lead digital and industrial transformation efforts.

He also highlighted the importance of developing young people’s capacities in modern technology to build inclusive, resilient economies capable of meeting future requirements, as well as raising awareness of the potential of 3D printing to foster innovation, boost local production, promote entrepreneurship, and create job opportunities.

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