Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), and Dr. Noura bint Mohammed Al-Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Youth, President of the Emirati National Commission for Education, Science and Culture, held a meeting to review the latest cooperation developments between ICESCO and the UAE and explore ways to promote partnership between the two parties, particularly in the fields of the Arabic language, heritage preservation and youth support.

During the meeting, held on Wednesday, June 15, 2022, at the headquarters of the Ministry of Culture in Abu Dhabi, with the presence of Ms. Salma Darmaki, Secretary-General of the Emirati National Commission, and the Commission’s working team, the two parties reaffirmed their keenness to sustain cooperation and capitalize on new methods and innovative and practical mechanisms. They also expressed their readiness to work according to a strategic plan for the implementation of several joint programs and the achievement of shared goals between ICESCO and the Commission.

The meeting addressed the issue of the ICESCO Fund for Supporting Heritage Projects in the Islamic World and the possibility of the UAE’s contributions to finance it to achieve its goals to promote, preserve and document tangible and intangible heritage and ensure its documentation and inscription of ICESCO’s lists of heritage in the Islamic world.

The meeting also discussed the promotion of cooperation between ICESCO and the UAE in the field of the Arabic language and the UAE’s participation in ICESCO’s forums and conferences. They also discussed cooperation in the field of supporting and building young people’s capacities, in light of the leading programs the Organization implements in this field and the success the UAE has scored in the field of youth empowerment, particularly with regard to the Center of Government Accelerators and Service Development. The two parties discussed the possibility of providing the youth of the Islamic world with the opportunity to benefit from some training sessions that the center organizes.

The DG also visited the Prime Minister’s Office and took stock of the work of the Center of Government Accelerators and Service Development. He also met with Ms. Shama Al-Mazrui, Minister of State for Youth Affairs; and Mr. Saeed Al Nazari, Director-General of the Federal Youth Authority.