Category: News

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) received the Abdulaziz Saud Al-Babtain Award for Creativity in the Service of the Arabic Language, Institutions Category, for its “Mishkat” project, during a ceremony held on Thursday, 17 September 2026, at the headquarters of the League of Arab States in Cairo, Egypt.

Dr. Anas Hussam Saeed Al-Nuaimi, Head of the International Leadership Support Section for the Arabic Language at ICESCO’s Center of Arabic for Non-Arabic Speakers, received the award shield. The award was granted jointly to ICESCO and Al-Azhar’s Center of Education Development for Envoys and Foreign Students, with each institution receiving the full prize amount of USD 60,000, in recognition of their efforts to support the teaching of Arabic to non-Arabic speakers.

The ceremony brought together high-level participants, led by Mr. Nabil Fahmy, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States; Mr. Mohammed Ahmed Al Yamahi, Speaker of the Arab Parliament, Chairman of the Award’s Board of Trustees; Mr. Saud Abdulaziz Al-Babtain, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Al-Babtain Cultural Foundation; and Dr. Nahla El-Seidy, Advisor to His Eminence the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar for International Student Affairs, as well as a distinguished group of thinkers, academics, and media professionals from countries across the Islamic world.

As part of the ongoing dialogue to advance cultural rights led by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), the European Centre for Cultural Accessibility (Cemaforre) announced its support for ICESCO’s Draft Charter of Cultural Rights during the 50th session of the International Thinkers Guests of ICESCO Program, held under the theme “Cultural Rights in the Islamic World.” The session was attended by Mr. André Fertier, Writer and Founding President of “Cemaforre,” and Ms. Myrha Govindjee, Director of the Centre and specialist in cultural accessibility.

The session, held via videoconference on Wednesday, 16 September 2026, was opened by Dr. Mohamed Zinelabidine, Head of the Culture Sector at ICESCO, who reviewed the Organization’s initiative to advance cultural rights. He affirmed that ICESCO’s current priority is to ensure that everyone is recognized in their diversity, calling for an approach to cultural rights that takes into account the cultural diversity of ICESCO Member States and enables them to progressively put these rights into practice, as recognition is only a first step.

In his remarks, André Fertier outlined the motivations that led him to author the book “La citoyenneté culturelle: Réalités juridiques, enjeux et perspectives,” (Cultural citizenship: Legal realities, challenges and perspectives) considered the first intellectual work devoted specifically to this concept. The book calls for creating an environment that enables every individual to effectively exercise their cultural rights, and for establishing a form of cultural citizenship that transcends the boundaries of national affiliations.

For her part, Myrha Govindjee presented the book “Culture et handicap. 50 ans d’histoire : L’historique d’un demi-siècle d’évolutions dans les concepts, les politiques et les pratiques,” (Culture and disability. 50 years of history: The history of half a century of developments in concepts, policies and practices) which she co-authored with Fertier. She highlighted the need to develop the concept of cultural accessibility to ensure the full participation of all people in cultural life.

During the session, Sidi Ahmed Djawad, Young Professional in the Culture Sector at ICESCO, presented the Organization’s initiative on cultural rights and the Draft Charter, which comprises 20 articles covering three categories: legislation governing culture, the right to culture, and cultural rights in their comprehensive sense.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), in partnership with the International Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research and Ethics (ICAIRE), the King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language, and the Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA), launched the third, enhanced edition of the multilingual “Data and Artificial Intelligence Glossary” on Thursday, 17 September 2026, during the fourth UNESCO Global Forum on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence in Riyadh.

The new edition aims to update definitions, incorporate emerging terms in data and artificial intelligence, and enhance consistency among Arabic, English, and French equivalents. It thus keeps pace with the rapid development of these fields and facilitates the use of their concepts in scientific, educational, and professional settings.

During the launch session, Dr. Kaïs Hammami, Director of ICESCO’s Center for Foresight and Artificial Intelligence, highlighted the Organization’s contribution to strengthening the initiative’s international and multilingual dimensions. He explained that ICESCO’s participation is guided by three objectives: enriching reliable digital content, establishing a common technical language among Member States, and contributing to the production and dissemination of knowledge.

He stressed that the glossary can support education and capacity building through its use in teaching, teacher training, curriculum development, policy documents, and media content, making artificial intelligence concepts more accessible to users in different languages.

Regarding future editions, Dr. Hammami proposed adopting knowledge needs, expected impact, and the availability of a trusted institutional partner as criteria for adding new languages. He noted that Russian, Chinese, and Portuguese are being considered, while emphasizing the need to safeguard scientific and linguistic accuracy and ensure conceptual equivalence across languages.

The launch of the third edition builds on efforts to strengthen specialized knowledge content and make it available in multiple languages. This supports broader participation by countries and regions in discussions on artificial intelligence and helps clarify and standardize concepts as a prerequisite for any effective global dialogue on the governance and ethics of this technology.

Her Royal Highness Princess Maha bint Mohammed AlFaisal, Secretary-General of the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies (KFCRIS), received Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), at the Center’s headquarters in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The meeting explored prospects for cooperation between ICESCO and KFCRIS, particularly in Islamic studies, manuscript preservation, and highlighting the contributions of Islamic civilization. The two sides also discussed preparing joint studies and research to advance knowledge and safeguard the scientific and cultural heritage of the Islamic world.

Dr. AlMalik presented ICESCO’s key activities, initiatives, and programs, highlighting areas of shared interest and opportunities to build an effective scientific partnership that advances research and supports institutions specializing in Islamic studies.

For her part, Princess Maha reviewed the history of the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, its leading scientific and research efforts, and its future projects. The discussion also addressed a proposal to establish a specialized academic chair in Transoxiana studies to promote research into the region’s history and the contributions of its prominent scholars to Islamic civilization.

The two sides agreed to work toward signing a cooperation agreement during the forthcoming visit of His Royal Highness Prince Turki Al-Faisal to ICESCO headquarters in Rabat. The agreement will provide a framework for cooperation and facilitate the launch of several joint programs and projects.

Princess Maha also accompanied the ICESCO Director-General on a tour of the ASFAR Exhibition, introducing him to its important collections, artworks, and manuscripts, which reflect the richness of Islamic heritage and the diversity of its scientific and cultural traditions.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Dr. AlMalik invited Her Royal Highness Princess Maha bint Mohammed AlFaisal to visit ICESCO headquarters to learn firsthand about the Organization’s activities, initiatives, and programs.

The meeting was attended on behalf of the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies by Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Khuraif, Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Khunaifer, and Mr. Yasser Al-Zahrani. ICESCO was represented by Dr. Kaïs Hammami, Head of the Foresight and Artificial Intelligence Center.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) expresses its strongest condemnation and vehement denunciation of the terrorist attacks carried out by the “Houthi” group using missiles and drones against civilians, civilian facilities and Islamic holy sites in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of ICESCO, affirmed that violating the sanctity of the Islamic nation’s sacred sites, foremost among them the security of the Two Holy Mosques, constitutes a dangerous escalation and a grave disregard for the sanctity of the holiest places in Islam, revered by Muslims across the world. He noted that targeting the Holy Capital and exposing it, its residents and its visitors to any danger constitutes a heinous crime and a grave transgression that requires urgent international action to halt these attacks and hold those responsible to account.

The ICESCO Director-General stated that targeting holy sites and civilian objects constitutes unequivocal terrorism and barbarism incompatible with the values of our noble Islamic faith. He warned of the dangers posed by continued desperate attempts to target the Muslims’ Qibla, stressing that preserving its sanctity is a responsibility that must be upheld in order to keep holy sites removed from any conflicts.

Dr. AlMalik reiterated ICESCO’s full support for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in taking all measures and steps to safeguard the security of the Two Holy Mosques and protect the safety of pilgrims and the Kingdom’s territory and citizens.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), in partnership with the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, will hold a high-level dialogue on science diplomacy and global cooperation on Monday, September 21, 2026, in New York, United States of America. This event will form part of this year’s Science Summit, to be held in conjunction with the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 81).

The dialogue will bring together leaders, ministers, government officials, representatives of international organizations and scientific institutions, as well as university presidents, and international experts and specialists. It will explore how science diplomacy can strengthen international cooperation in higher education, turn scientific and technological potential into practical partnerships and tangible impact. Discussions will also address the role of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies in achieving sustainable development and equal opportunities.

The event will feature the launch of the ICESCO-Al-Farabi Center for Science Diplomacy and the “Inclusive Access to Artificial Intelligence and High-Performance Computing Infrastructure” Initiative, which both aim to advance scientific research, build professionals’ capacities, facilitate exchange of expertise and knowledge-sharing, and strengthen international cooperation in science diplomacy. In addition, four agreements will also be signed with ministries, universities, and international organizations to enhance partnerships in scientific research.

The event will conclude with the adoption of the “New York Joint Statement on Science Diplomacy for Inclusive Global Development,” which calls for the development of an action plan to advance cooperation among the participating institutions. It also reaffirms the shared commitment to increasing the involvement of the Global South countries and harnessing science and innovation to achieve sustainable development.

ICESCO is organizing this event to contribute to the development of an inclusive international ecosystem for science and innovation, enabling the Global South countries to contribute to global knowledge and innovation and to the development of policies and technological solutions.

To participate virtually or in person, registration is open via the following link:
https://event.sciencesummitnyc.org/list-of-sessions/detail/526