The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), in partnership with the Moroccan National Commission for Education, Science and Culture, is preparing to organize the fourth edition of the ICESCO Marathon on the morning of Saturday, 31 October 2026, in Rabat, under the theme “Let’s run together for well-being and mental health.”
ICESCO invites people of all ages and backgrounds, including persons with special needs, to participate free of charge in an event that combines physical activity with awareness of the importance of mental health and offers participants a collective experience celebrating the spirit of solidarity.
The Marathon will start at 9:00 a.m. outside ICESCO Headquarters on FAR Avenue in Rabat and follow an approximately nine-kilometer route through several of the Moroccan capital’s main streets.
This edition is supported by the Ministry of National Education, Preschool, Vocational Training and Qualification and the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication of the Kingdom of Morocco, Air Arabia, Assurances Lyazidi, Aswak Assalam, Islamic Center for Development of Trade (ICDT), the Moroccan Anti-Doping Agency (AMAD), UNICEF, the Royal Moroccan Federation of Sports for Persons with Disabilities, and Special Olympics Morocco.
Winners will receive valuable prizes, including airline tickets, to encourage participation and sporting competition. ICESCO invites those wishing to join the event to complete the registration form at the following link: https://icesco.org/en/get-engaged/icesco-marathon/
Through this event, ICESCO seeks to make sport a space for connection and inclusion, while highlighting the importance of mental health and well-being in daily life, in an atmosphere that brings together physical activity and human interaction.
Dr. Mohamed Zinelabidine, Head of Culture Sector at the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), highlighted the contributions of ICESCO Agora platform to fostering pluralistic thought and promoting intellectual dialogue, noting that the platform, hosted on ICESCO Creative digital portal, has published more than 275 articles by over 89 authors from more than 31 countries, issued 14 collections and books, and registered more than 300 members.
He noted that the platform, launched as part of the ICESCO Roads for the Future initiative, has established itself as a space for reflection and knowledge-sharing focused on cultural, economic, social, and civilizational issues in the Islamic world and beyond.
Dr. Zinelabidine’s remarks came during a virtual seminar held by ICESCO’s Culture Sector in cooperation with the SWISS UMEF on Wednesday, 21 October 2026, to review ICESCO Agora platform’s contributions to cultural and intellectual fields.
During the seminar, Mr. Salvatore Lombardo, President of the Charles-Louis Lassalle Foundation for Contemporary Art, Director of the Master’s Programme in Geopolitics at SWISS UMEF, commended the contributions of ICESCO Agora and the role of culture in contemporary societies. He called for a comprehensive and renewed vision of culture, emphasizing that transmitting cultural heritage does not necessarily mean reproducing it unchanged. Rather, culture remains alive as long as it is open to diverse forms of expression and to the questions and transformations shaping societies.
Following an overview of the platform presented by Mr. Sidi Ahmed Djawad at ICESCO’s Culture Sector, discussions bringing together researchers, professors, cultural practitioners, and representatives of civil society organizations addressed several published articles and works, as well as prospects for the platform’s development.
The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) in partnership with the Uzbek Space Research and Technology Agency (Uzcosmos) and Turin Polytechnic University in Tashkent concluded the fifth International Aerospace Symposium and the fifth edition of the Training Workshop on Educational Satellite Model (CanSat) in Tashkent on Wednesday, 21 October 2026. The two events brought together 250 trainees from Malaysia, Oman, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Gabon, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan.
The closing programme of the seven-day workshop featured a competition in which 14 teams developed solutions to engineering and aviation challenges by designing, assembling, and testing CanSat devices before launching them aboard rockets. Team Nebula won first place, Team Pegasus took second place, and Team Sky Lab placed third.
The workshop’s closing day opened with remarks by Dr. Muhammad Sharif, Advisor at ICESCO’s Science and Environment Sector, and Mr. Mukhiddin Ibragimov, Deputy Director of Uzcosmos, in which they emphasized the importance of providing learning and training opportunities in the space industry and developing young people’s technical and creative skills in the field.
The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), with support from Azerbaijan’s Heydar Aliyev Foundation and in partnership with the NGO Youth, Peace, and Development (JEPADE), has launched the project “Educational and Social Support for Displaced and Boarding School Girls” in the Republic of Niger, benefiting 5,150 girls and women.
The project aims to improve water, sanitation and hygiene facilities in schools, support literacy efforts, facilitate access to non-formal education, expand women’s economic empowerment opportunities, and raise awareness of the importance of women’s participation in peacebuilding and efforts to mitigate the impact of crises.
The launch ceremony, held on Thursday, 15 October 2026, both via videoconference and in person in Niamey, brought together Mr. Anar Alakbarov, Executive Director of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation; Mr. Elh Idi Abdou, Deputy Secretary-General of the Ministry of National Education, Literacy and Promotion of National Languages; Mr. Assoumane Mahamadou, Executive Secretary of Niger’s National Commission for UNESCO and ICESCO; and Mr. Laminou Garba, National Coordinator of JEPADE; as well as the representatives of several educational institutions in Niger.
The project is part of ICESCO’s ongoing efforts to advance education and human development in its Member States, strengthen resilience, and provide solutions to the challenges facing the most vulnerable communities across the Islamic world.
The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) co-organized the Granada Partners Forum for Educational Excellence and Innovation, held by the Granada Foundation for Publishing and Educational Services on Tuesday, 20 October 2026, in cooperation with the University Center for Teaching Arabic to Non-Arabic Speakers at Sultan Moulay Slimane University in the Kingdom of Morocco, under the theme “Arabic Brings Us Together.”
Held via videoconference, the Forum brought together a distinguished group of experts, academics and specialists in Arabic language education and the development of educational practices. It addressed excellence and innovation in Arabic language education, curriculum and program development, and the advancement of teachers’ continuing professional development.
ICESCO was represented at the Forum by Mr. Adel Bouraoui, Advisor to the Director-General and Supervisor of the “Mishkat Al-Arabiya” program, who delivered a presentation entitled “ICESCO and the Granada Foundation: A Model Partnership at the Service of Arabic Language.” He highlighted the importance of institutional partnerships in developing educational initiatives and programs, sharing educational expertise, and coordinating efforts to serve Arabic language and expand its reach across diverse linguistic and cultural settings. He also commended the achievements made through this partnership over two decades in numerous countries across all six continents.
Dr. Youssef Ismaili, Head of Language Training Division at ICESCO Center of Arabic for Non-Arabic Speakers, delivered a presentation entitled “Arabic as Soft Power: Global Education and Teacher Training.” He explored the civilizational and cultural dimensions of Arabic and its role in promoting communication and mutual understanding among peoples, stressing the importance of teaching Arabic to non-Arabic speakers as a means of fostering cultural dialogue and broadening the horizons of civilizational dialogue. He also highlighted the pivotal role of teacher training in improving the quality of Arabic language education by developing teachers’ linguistic, pedagogical and digital competencies and enabling them to use modern curricula and innovative educational technologies.
The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held a conference on Students’ Mental Health and Well-being on Tuesday, 20 October 2026, at its headquarters in Rabat, under the theme “From Understanding Challenges to Collective Action.” The event was organized in partnership with the Ministry of National Education, Preschool, Vocational Training and Qualification of the Kingdom of Morocco, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and the Moroccan National Commission for Education, Sciences and Culture, as part of the celebration of World Mental Health Day.
The conference opened with remarks by Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, delivered on his behalf by Dr. Ahmed Albanyan, Head of the Education Sector, Supervisor of the Translation and Publishing Center. He stressed that approaches to mental health must not be limited to healthcare but must encompass education, family support, culture, sports and inclusive policies. He explained that schools and families share responsibility for providing safe and supportive environments where children can express their concerns and seek help.
The representative of Morocco’s Ministry of National Education, Preschool, Vocational Training and Qualification underscored the importance of mental health as an essential factor in students’ development and active participation in public life, particularly amid rapid social and digital transformations and the new pressures and challenges they bring.
For her part, Dr. Fatima Abouali, President of the Moroccan Anti-Doping Agency, highlighted the individual and collective responsibility to safeguard health as the foundation of contribution and psychological well-being. She also emphasized the need to uphold the integrity of sports and combat doping to protect health and ensure equal opportunities.
Following, Mr. Karim Hamidouche, Secretary-General of the Moroccan National Commission for Education, Sciences and Culture, touched on the importance of investing in mental health as a direct investment in building more resilient people equipped to confront challenges. Additionally, Ms. Hafida Boumarouane, representative of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, stressed that mental health is a fundamental human right, noting that most mental disorders begin before the age of 14, making childhood and adolescence critical stages.
Mr. Yassine Souidi, representative of the UNFPA, commended the conference for reaffirming the school’s role as a space for learning and thriving, and the family’s role as a supportive and empowering partner, enabling young people to develop their capacities.
The conference also featured panel discussions with the participation of officials and representatives of government and non-governmental bodies, organizations and civil society institutions. The discussions addressed ways to strengthen listening, dialogue, prevention and support for children, and to build trust and genuine partnership between families and educational institutions.
The conference concluded with Ms. Ramata Almamy Mbaye, Head of ICESCO’s Social and Human Sciences Sector, and representatives of the official partners announcing details of the fourth edition of the ICESCO Marathon, scheduled to take place on 31 October 2026 in Rabat.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met with Dr. Sali Shahsivari , Managing Director of the Al-Furqan Islamic Heritage Foundation in London, on Tuesday, 20 October 2026, to discuss ways of cooperation in organizing international conferences and seminars to highlight the objectives and values of Islam and the contributions of Islamic world countries to the exact sciences, as well as publishing a guide to historical manuscript cataloguing.
During the meeting, held at ICESCO headquarters in Rabat, Dr. AlMalik highlighted the changes the Organization has undergone in recent years, starting with its adoption of an open and inclusive approach and direct engagement with its Member States to develop programs and projects that deliver tangible results in education, science, culture, heritage preservation, the promotion of civilizational dialogue, and youth capacity-building.
The ICESCO Director-General outlined the Organization’s efforts to promote the culture of the Islamic world and safeguard its heritage through the establishment of specialized centers of preserving and enhancing the value of heritage, including the ICESCO Center for Calligraphy and Manuscripts. He also expressed the Sultan Qaboos Library’s willingness to cooperate with the Foundation in exchanging books and publications.
For his part, Dr. Shahsivari outlined the objectives and areas of specialization of the Foundation, foremost among them manuscript preservation and the publication of scholarly encyclopedias. He affirmed the Foundation’s interest in cooperating on activities to promote an accurate understanding of Islam and Islamic civilization, as well as organizing a seminar and a training course on cataloguing and manuscripts and publishing a joint guide in this field.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the two sides agreed to develop an action plan setting out arrangements for their cooperation in the coming period.
Those attending the meeting on behalf of ICESCO included Mr. Anar Karimov, Head of the Partnerships and International Cooperation Sector; Ambassador Khalid Fathalrahman, Head of the Center for Civilizational Dialogue; Dr. Idham Hanash, Director of the Center for Calligraphy and Manuscripts; and Dr. Ahmed Abdelbaset, Expert at the Center.
It is worth noting that the Al-Furqan Islamic Heritage Foundation is a non-profit organization established in London in 1988 to enhance the value of Islamic manuscript heritage, catalogue, study and publish manuscripts, encourage research in the sciences, and raise awareness of the richness of Islamic civilization.
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received Edi Irwan bin Mahmud, Ambassador-designate of Malaysia to the Kingdom of Morocco, on Monday, 19 October 2026, at ICESCO Headquarters in Rabat. The two sides discussed ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation in education, culture, and science.
At the outset of the meeting, Dr. AlMalik congratulated Ambassador Edi Irwan on his accreditation as his country’s Ambassador to Rabat and wished him every success in his mission. The Director-General offered an overview of ICESCO’s history, its Strategic Vision 2025–2029, and its key programs and initiatives in youth and women’s capacity building, scientific research, space sciences and their applications, the promotion of peace and civilizational dialogue, and the advancement of the Arabic language internationally.
Dr. AlMalik commended Malaysia’s continued support for the Organization’s programs and activities, as well as its consistent fulfillment of all annual contributions to ICESCO’s general budget, expressing his aspiration to build a strategic partnership between the two sides in the coming period.
The ICESCO Director-General referred to his invitation to attend the 27th session of the International Islamic Fiqh Academy (IIFA), scheduled to be held in Malaysia next November. Both sides emphasized the importance of using the occasion to hold a number of high-level meetings on strengthening bilateral cooperation.
Dr. AlMalik also expressed ICESCO’s readiness to receive a group of outstanding Malaysian young people for training across the Organization’s sectors, centers, and divisions, enabling them to gain first-hand insight into the working environment of international organizations.
For his part, Ambassador Edi Irwan affirmed his commitment to strengthening bilateral relations between ICESCO and Malaysia. He highlighted Malaysia’s approach of supporting all forms of cooperation among countries of the Islamic world, particularly through ICESCO, which plays a distinguished role in its fields of competence.
The meeting also explored ways to enhance cooperation in education, higher education, and scientific research; the hosting and organization of several ICESCO ministerial conferences in Malaysia; and the latest developments in the project to establish the ICESCO–Hamdan bin Rashid Center for Arabic Language Teaching, with support from the Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Medical and Educational Sciences.
The meeting was attended by Mr. Anar Karimov, Head of the Partnerships and International Cooperation Sector; Dr. Yergaliyev Kuanysh, Head of the Science and Environment Sector; and Dr. Majdi Hajj Ibrahim, Head of the Center of Arabic for Non-Arabic Speakers, representing ICESCO.
In celebration of World Novel Week, the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held an international symposium titled “The Poetics of the Novel: The Dialectic of Story and Language” at its headquarters in Rabat on Monday, 19 October 2026. The event brought together a distinguished group of writers, thinkers, and literary critics from across the Islamic world and featured the announcement of the winners of the second edition of ICESCO’s “Cities of Poems” contest.
The Symposium opened with verses from the Holy Quran, followed by an address by Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, in which he described the novel as an art form that has been able to tell the story of humanity since its very beginning, preserving aspects of human life that history has failed to capture or overlooked in its records. He added that the novel turns its attention to ordinary people whom passing glances overlook, transforming them into protagonists through their human stories.
Dr. AlMalik explained that ICESCO’s celebration of World Novel Week underscores the place of the arts, literature, and culture in its vision and programs. It also reflects a deliberate commitment to the power of creativity as one of the means through which people can reconnect with their humanity. He noted that, despite the transformations of the modern age, the novel has remained engaged with societal issues and retained its ability to expose points of failure and give voice to what has remained unspoken. He further called for greater synergy among the arts, stressing that humanity needs more than ever the spiritual depth, beauty, and meaning they offer.
The Symposium, moderated by Dr. Ahmed Lahrichi, Moroccan poet and media professional, featured a video titled “The Story of the Novel”, honoring leading novelists from across the Islamic world.
Ambassador Khalid Fathalrahman, Head of ICESCO’s Center for Civilizational Dialogue and Chair of the Jury, announced the winners of the second edition of the contest, organized by ICESCO’s Center for Poetry and Literature. This edition was dedicated to Samarkand, Uzbekistan, in celebration of its designation as the Capital of Culture in the Islamic World for 2025.
The Jury Chair highlighted the contest’s aim of celebrating the cities of civilizations. He noted that the jury had received 600 poems, of which 174 were shortlisted for an intensive judging process. The final results saw three poets win the top prizes in the “Samarkand Poems” category: Mohammed Darwich Hassan Maqsai of Yemen took first place, Ahmed Yousri Hassan Al-Khattab of Palestine came second, and Mohammed Ismail Abdallah Sweilam of Egypt placed third. Seven poets also received commendation awards: Mbarek Alabany (Morocco), Mohammed Ziad Shodab (Syria), Abdullah Sarmad Aljamil (Iraq), Abderrahmane Bouzerba (Algeria), Lassed Al-Houcine Guesmi (Tunisia), Naheda Shbeb (Syria), and Sidi Mohammed Mohammed El Mahdi (Mauritania).
The Symposium then proceeded to a discussion session moderated by Rawda El-Haj, Head of ICESCO’s Center for Poetry and Literature, who welcomed four distinguished literary figures: Dr. Abdullah Al-Ghathami of Saudi Arabia, Dr. Said Yaktine of Morocco, Dr. Hatem Fatnassi of Tunisia, and Dr. Zohor Gourram of Morocco.
The discussion explored the significance of the novel and the aesthetic qualities that distinguish it from other narrative forms. Participants also examined the challenge of genuine renewal, which requires more than changing the novel’s form; it entails generating innovative narrative values that transcend conventional patterns and reconstruct the relationship between the text, heritage, and reality. The Symposium further highlighted the novel’s flexibility and its continued openness to revision, as it draws on modern techniques and social media to develop narrative discourse, enrich its language, and broaden the horizons of interpretation.
On Friday, 16 October 2026, the 5th International Aerospace Symposium and the 5th edition of the training workshop on the design of an educational satellite (CanSat) kicked off in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) holds the two events in partnership with the Uzbek Space Research and Technology Agency (Uzcosmos) and Turin Polytechnic University in Tashkent, under the theme “Building Tomorrow’s Global Workforce”.
The Symposium and workshop bring together 250 trainees from Malaysia, Oman, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Gabon, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan, alongside experts and specialists in space sciences, to design, develop, and launch educational satellite models.
The opening ceremony of the seven-day event began with a recorded address by Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General. He called on participants to strengthen their scientific capabilities and harness their knowledge to develop solutions that make a tangible difference in their communities. He stressed that building practical skills in space sciences enables young people to turn knowledge into concrete achievements while fostering the creativity, teamwork, and problem-solving skills required in the future labour market.
The ICESCO Director-General also reviewed the Organization’s efforts to promote equal opportunities in space science and technology and build the capacities of young people in the countries of the Islamic world to contribute to scientific progress and sustainable development.
For his part, Dr. Muhammad Sharif, Advisor at ICESCO’s Science and Environment Sector, described the Symposium and training workshop as a platform for strengthening student engagement in satellite technology and its applications.
The opening ceremony also featured remarks by Mr. Mukhiddin Ibragimov, Deputy Director of the Uzbek Space Research and Technology Agency “Uzcosmos”; Mr. OlimjonTuychiev, Rector of Turin Polytechnic University in Tashkent; Ms. Shelli Brunswick, Chief Executive Officer of SB Global; and Dr. Alim Rüstem Aslan, Professor of Aerospace Engineering at Istanbul Technical University. They underscored the importance of international partnerships and hands-on training involving universities, the private sector, and stakeholders in the space industry to prepare the next generation of scientists and engineers.
The workshop programme provides participants with intensive hands-on training in designing, assembling, programming, and launching miniature educational satellites using microcontrollers, sensors, cameras, and ground stations.
