Category: News

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), affirmed that education remains the most powerful investment for achieving civilizational transformation and sustainable development. He stressed that improving foundational education and elevating the status of teachers constitute the true gateway to any effective educational reform.

Dr. AlMalik made these remarks on Wednesday, 14 January 2026, during the high-level panel marking the 50th anniversary of the Arab Bureau of Education for the Gulf States, under the theme “The Future of Learning in the Gulf States: Renewed Roles for Regional and International Organizations.” The event was attended by Ministers of Education from the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, heads of international and regional organizations, and a select group of experts and specialists.

Dr. AlMalik began his address by congratulating the Arab Bureau of Education for the Gulf States on this occasion, commending its pioneering role over the past fifty years in anticipating the future of Gulf education through studies, research, and capacity building. He emphasized that this educational legacy embodies generations of ambition, effort, and achievement.

Moreover, Dr. AlMalik pointed out that hundreds of millions of children worldwide remain out of school, noting that addressing this challenge starts with modern foundational education that goes beyond rote learning to foster creativity and skills, while paying attention to the child’s psychological and social environment. This, he explained, has a direct impact on enhancing skill development, increasing school retention rates, and reducing academic failure.

He also stressed that teachers are the cornerstone of any successful educational system, calling for investment in them through pre-service and in-service training programs, the adoption of clear career pathways, improvement of working conditions, and preservation of their social and professional status.

Dr. AlMalik highlighted that Gulf States have achieved remarkable progress in education, yet sustaining this successful experience requires expanding its reach and sharing best practices with other countries of the Islamic world.

In this regard, he reiterated ICESCO’s readiness to play a coordinating role in disseminating the Gulf educational model, citing examples of the Organization’s field projects in education, including school support programs, water and sanitation initiatives, and the construction and rehabilitation of educational institutions in several Islamic world countries.

He also shed light on ICESCO’s ambitious program “Civilizational Education,” which is based on two fundamental pillars: pride in identity and conscious openness to others. He called on Islamic countries to contribute to developing this educational concept at its foundational stages.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), in partnership with the Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Medical and Educational Sciences, organized an international workshop on “Modern Methodologies in Language Teaching,” benefiting 198 male and female trainees from among educational professionals working in the teaching Arabic to non-Arabic speakers, representing 15 African and Asian countries. The workshop was held on Wednesday and Thursday, 7-8 January 2026, at ICESCO headquarters in Rabat.

The workshop featured an academic presentation delivered by Dr. Habib Magharaoui, an educational training expert, on the latest methodologies in language teaching and ways to integrate their strategies in curricula and educational programs, with a focus on practical procedures designed to support teachers in enhancing their performance and transitioning from traditional approaches to methods more closely aligned with modern communicative approaches.

The program also included hands-on sessions dedicated to training participants in the integration of technology into program design and curriculum planning, drawing on the latest trends in language teaching.
This workshop forms part of the annual “Mishkat Educational Leadership” program for the 2025–2026 academic year, which aims to prepare educational cadres to assume leadership roles that contribute to the development of Arabic language teaching for non-Arabic speakers in beneficiary countries.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), visited the Indonesian Embassy in Rabat, where he was received by Mr. Yuyu Sutisna, Extraordinary Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to the Kingdom of Morocco, on Thursday, 8 January 2026.

During the meeting, the two parties discussed ways to enhance cooperation and invigorate the relationship between ICESCO and the Indonesian National Commission for Education, Science and Culture.

At the outset of the meeting, Dr. AlMalik emphasized the prominent position Indonesia holds within ICESCO, stressing the importance of its active representation in the Organization’s activities, programs, and initiatives. He also commended Indonesia’s efforts in the scientific, environmental, educational, and cultural fields.

Dr. AlMalik called for enhancing cooperation and coordination between ICESCO and the Indonesian National Commission, noting that the Organization has adopted an approach of communicating with its Member States through national commissions to develop programs and initiatives that address the needs and aspirations of these countries.

Moreover, Dr. AlMalik expressed his anticipation of Indonesia being represented by a high-level delegation during the upcoming General Conference of the Organization, scheduled to be held in Morocco in the coming months.

For his part, Ambassador Yuyu Sutisna affirmed his country’s keenness to strengthen cooperation with ICESCO, praising the latter’s role in developing its areas of competence across the Islamic world.

The meeting also included discussions on the potential organization of a high-level international conference hosted by ICESCO in Indonesia, and an official visit by an ICESCO delegation to Jakarta to conduct in-depth talks with senior officials on ways to further strengthen cooperation between the two sides.

The meeting was attended on ICESCO’s side by Anar Karimov, Head of the Partnerships and International Cooperation Sector; Osama Heikal, Head of the Sector of Media and Communication; and Dr. Fahman Fathurrahman, Expert in the Science and Environment Sector.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met on Tuesday, 6 January 2025, with participants in the 2nd Young Professionals Program for 2025. The program offers promising young men and women from within and outside the Islamic world the opportunity to spend 24 months in professional training across ICESCO’s specialized sectors, divisions, and centers.

In his address during the meeting held at ICESCO headquarters in Rabat, Dr. AlMalik congratulated the 13 selected participants from 11 countries, chosen from nearly 7,000 applicants. He expressed his conviction that bringing in new talent supports the Organization’s efforts to foster innovation and creativity in its programs and initiatives for Member States.

Moreover, Dr. AlMalik highlighted ICESCO’s flagship initiatives, programs, and projects aimed at preparing youth for future careers and encouraging innovation in fields such as modern science and technology, environment, culture, and education.

Dr. AlMalik also shared several pieces of advice to ensure a successful professional journey, emphasizing the importance of continuous learning and knowledge-seeking, diligence and fact-checking, viewing mistakes as learning opportunities, and benefiting from the cultural and intellectual diversity offered by both the program and the Organization. He encouraged participants to leverage modern technologies for learning and skill development and to present their ideas and innovations.

During the meeting, participants introduced themselves, shared their educational backgrounds, professional interests, and aspirations. The session also featured an open discussion between the DG and the young professionals, during which Dr. AlMalik answered their questions and inquiries.

In observance of the World Arabic Language Day, the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), through its Training Pole for Excellence in Arabic Language in the Republic of Benin, and the ICESCO Chair of Research and Pedagogical Innovation for the Development of Arabic Teaching in Guinea, held a series of scientific and educational activities to promote the role of Arabic language in Africa, with the participation of ambassadors, academics, researchers, professors, students, and those interested in linguistic and cultural affairs.

In Conakry, the capital of Guinea, the ICESCO Chair of Research and Pedagogical Innovation for the Development of Arabic Teaching organized training workshops and scientific lectures for students, educational leaders, and Arabic language teachers, focusing on educational supervision and language teaching skills based on a competency-based approach.

These activities benefited 137 educational officials between 11 and 18 December 2025, as part of a program aimed at improving professional performance in the classroom and enhancing teaching competencies, while providing practical approaches to dealing with the challenges facing Arabic language teaching in the country.

During the same period, a two-day “reading competition” was organized for university students in Guinea, resulting in the recognition of 17 students to encourage reading and excellence in Arabic language learning.

In Benin, the ICESCO Training Pole for Excellence in Arabic Language, with the support of the Hamdan bin Rashid Foundation for Medical and Educational Sciences, organized a national scientific conference in Porto-Novo, from 18 to 20 December 2025, under the theme “Towards the Valorization of the Arabic Heritage in Benin.”

The conference discussed the historical dimensions of the presence of Arabic in local culture, its place in educational and training institutions, the contributions of scholars to writing local languages in Arabic script, as well as issues related to transcription of the Qur’an, writing tablets, contemporary creations, and challenges associated with digital transformation.