Category: Director General

In the presence of His Excellency Macky Sall, President of the Republic of Senegal, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), participated in the opening ceremony of the twelfth session of the National Festival of Arts and Culture, in Fatick, Senegal. The ceremony also saw the presence of Mr. Mohammed Mehdi Bensaid, Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication of the Kingdom of Morocco, which is the guest of honor, along with a number of ministers and representatives of diplomatic missions and international organizations.

During the grand opening ceremony, organized on Monday evening (January 8, 2024), His Excellency President Macky Sall welcomed the participants, stressing the importance of culture, heritage and arts in achieving sustainable development, and announced the inauguration of the International Exhibition and Museum of the Prophet’s Seerah and Islamic Civilization, which is supervised by the Muslim World League, in Dakar, scheduled on February 5, 2024.

In his address, Dr. AlMalik expressed his great pleasure at participating in the festival, which aims to promote cultural heritage, noting the efforts of President Macky Sall to develop the economy, promote entrepreneurship among youth and women, and develop a model for peace, social cohesion and civilizational dialogue, in order to consolidate the values of coexistence, peace and stability in the African continent and worldwide.

At the end of his address, ICESCO Director-General congratulated Senegal on its election as a member of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, underscoring ICESCO’s keenness to strengthen partnership with its Member States, including the Republic of Senegal.

In the address of the Kingdom of Morocco, the festival guest of honor, Mr. Mohammed Mehdi Bensaid highlighted the deeply-rooted historical relations between Morocco and Senegal, stressing the role of culture and heritage in preserving African identity, especially among young people.

It is noteworthy that the current session of the festival, which spans over four days, is held in Fatick, the birthplace of the President of the Republic of Senegal, under the theme, ‘Macky, Arts and Heritage’. The program includes a national book fair, lectures on culture and arts, forums and workshops, in addition to a number of artistic and folklore performances to introduce the rich cultural heritage of Senegal.

The program also features artistic and folklore performances from the Kingdom of Morocco, the festival guest of honor.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received Mr. Khalid Salim Bamakhalif, Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman to the Kingdom of Morocco, and together they discussed ways to enhance the outstanding partnership between ICESCO and the Sultanate in the educational, scientific and cultural fields.

At the outset of the meeting, held on Thursday (January 4, 2024), at ICESCO’s headquarters, in Rabat, Dr. AlMalik congratulated Ambassador Bamakhalif on his appointment as Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman to Morocco, wishing him every success in his mission.

Dr. AlMalik also reviewed the salient aspects of the Organization’s vision and its strategic orientations, which are based on openness and cooperation with all parties for the benefit of Member States and Muslim communities around the world, stressing ICESCO’s keenness to promote foresight culture, consolidate the values of peace, civilizational dialogue and coexistence, build women and youth capacities, and encourage Member States to invest in space sciences and support its efforts geared towards leveraging modern technologies to achieve sustainable development.

The meeting, which saw the presence of many heads of sector and department at ICESCO, touched on the major activities implemented within the framework of the outstanding partnership between the Organization and the Sultanate of Oman, and the upcoming period cooperation, in coordination with the Omani National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, particularly the Conference of Ministers of Education in the Islamic World, due to be hosted by the Sultanate, in 2024, and the agreement to establish ICESCO Chair for Artificial Intelligence Ethics at the University of Technology and Applied Sciences in Muscat, due to be signed at the upcoming Executive Council of ICESCO in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

For his part, Ambassador Bamakhalif commended ICESCO’s roles in supporting its Member States in its areas of competence, hailing the qualitative leap the Organization has witnessed over the past four years, and the recruitment of competent staff, who have strengthened its presence at the international level.

Afterwards, ICESCO Director-General took the Omani ambassador on a tour of the Organization’s headquarters, and the International Exhibition and Museum of the Prophet’s Seerah and Islamic Civilization, currently housed at ICESCO’s headquarters, in partnership with the Muslim World League and the Mohammadia League of Scholars.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), convened with 120 master’s students in International Law and Diplomatic Advocacy at the Faculty of Legal, Economic, and Social Sciences in Ain Chock, Hassan II University in Casablanca, Morocco. The meeting took place at ICESCO Headquarters and was attended by the dean of the faculty, the master’s program coordinator, faculty members, along with several sector heads, department and center directors at ICESCO.

During his opening remarks at the meeting on Wednesday 27 December 2023, Mr. Mohamed Hedi Shili, Director of the Legal Affairs and International Standards Department at ICESCO, welcomed the research students and underscored the importance of professions and disciplines associated with international law as catalysts for the functioning of international organizations. Mr. Shili highlighted that this meeting marks a new milestone in ICESCO’s commitment to fostering collaboration with universities.

Afterward, Dr. AlMalik reviewed the main aspects of the key developments that ICESCO has undergone over the past four years, in terms of organizational and administrative structure, strategic and forward-looking vision, and openness to Member and non-Member States. Additionally, he pointed out the notable advancement in ICESCO’s activities, attributing it to the recruitment of experienced experts and young talents from 35 countries to work or undergo training at the Organization.

Dr. Almalik explained that ICESCO’s new vision embraces collaboration with universities and higher education institutions, recognizing them as incubators for creativity and innovation. Furthermore, he affirmed the Organization’s unwavering dedication to advancing fields of education, science, culture, heritage preservation, and promoting peace and security. In this context, ICESCO has launched and implemented various ongoing programs and initiatives and established scientific chairs in esteemed international universities that have yielded valuable research and studies.

For his part, Dr. Abdellatif Komat, Dean of the Faculty of Legal, Economic, and Social Sciences in Ain Chock, expressed appreciation for ICESCO’s noteworthy efforts in furthering the fields of science, education, and culture. He commended the Organization’s initiative to offer students opportunities to understand its work and highlighted its focus on the training and development of youth skills.

Subsequently, the students were allowed to pose their questions to Dr. AlMalik, who provided responses and confirmed that the Organization has established numerous partnerships with various international entities to contribute to sustainable development. He reiterated the ongoing focus on foresight, positioning youth and women as pivotal elements in future plans and emphasizing the importance of digitization and leveraging artificial intelligence for technological progress and digital transformation.

Dr. Komat and the faculty members presented shields from Hassan II University and the Faculty of Legal, Economic, and Social Sciences in Ain Chock to Dr. AlMalik as an appreciation for steering ICESCO and supporting its Member States in their respective fields of expertise.

By the end of the meeting, the students and faculty members visited the International Exhibition and Museum on the Prophet’s Seerah and Islamic Civilization, currently hosted at the ICESCO Headquarters, as part of the partnership between the Organization and the Muslim World League and the Mohammadia League of Scholars.

His Excellency Mohamed Ould Cheikh Ghazouani, President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, received Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), on Thursday (December 21, 2023), at the Presidential Palace, in Nouakchott, one day before the close of Nouakchott Celebration as the Culture Capital in the Islamic world.

At the beginning of the meeting, the ICESCO Director-General expressed his great thanks and gratitude to His Excellency the President of Mauritania for granting his high patronage to this year-long celebration, which featured a wide range of cultural and artistic activities, and the organization of international conferences and workshops, adding glow to the city of Nouakchott, which demonstrated its ancient, unique and diverse cultural heritage.

He also commended the efforts of all parties that contributed to the success of the celebration, which is implemented within the framework of ICESCO’s program to celebrate the cities of the Islamic world, particularly the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports and the Mauritanian National Commission for Education, Science and Culture.

For his part, His Excellency the President of Mauritania hailed the roles of ICESCO and its remarkable achievements in recent years, especially in safeguarding and promoting the Islamic world heritage, praising the inscription of the Mauritanian Mahdara on the Islamic World Heritage List, and calling on ICESCO to pay special attention to the promotion of the Mahdara as a unique human heritage.

Dr. AlMalik welcomed this call, indicating that Mauritania is one of the countries that has inscribed most historical sites and cultural elements on ICESCO’s Islamic World Heritage List. Besides, he reiterated the Organization’s willingness to further develop the outstanding partnership with the Mauritanian parties in the fields of education, science and culture.

The meeting saw the presence of Mr. Mokhtar Ould Ajay, Minister in charge of the Cabinet of the Presidency, Mr. Ahmed Sid Ahmed Dié, Minister of Culture, Youth, Sports and Relations with Parliament, and Mr. Mohamed Sidi Abdallah, Secretary-General of the National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, as well as Dr. Mohamed Zinelabidine, Head of ICESCO Culture and Communication Sector, and Dr. Nami Salehi, Supervisor of ICESCO Center of Heritage in the Islamic World.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and its affiliated Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World (FUIW) held the International Conference on the Role of Women Leaderships in Empowering Women in the Digital Field, under the patronage and in the presence of Dr. Maryam Fadel Al-Dah, the First Lady of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. The event aims at exploring ways to enhance women’s capacities in the digital transformation and economy, and sharing the relevant best practices.

The opening of the conference, which kicked off on Thursday (December 21, 2023), in Nouakchott, witnessed a high-level participation, including first ladies, ministers, women leaders and experts in the fields of technology, innovation and digital transformation, most notably Ms. Marieme Faye Sall, First Lady of the Republic of Senegal.

The conference began with the recitation of verses from the Holy Quran, followed by a documentary about the Mauritanian experience and efforts to enhance digital transformation through the establishment of a number of bodies and platforms to protect data and encourage innovation.

In her address, the First Lady of Mauritania stressed that the advancement of societies and the achievement of development are linked to the empowerment of women and the achievement of equality in all fields, stating that additional efforts must be made in the field of education, training, scientific research and innovation to ensure women access to digital and entrepreneurial fields to which the conference’s sessions and discussions will contribute significantly.

In his address, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, FUIW Secretary-General, underscored that empowerment is an act that anticipates the future, identifies needs, determines priorities, predicts risks and incorporates new developments, adding that the digital transformation has become the key to modern areas, which all women leaders must be equipped with.

“Women worldwide have achieved a significant leap in digital entrepreneurship, which would open new prospects for startups. However, there are many challenges facing women on the path to their digital empowerment, particularly the lack of innovation, the limited ability to develop new ideas and projects, lack of knowledge about the society’s needs, and the poor financial and administrative awareness” underscored Dr. AlMalik.

For her part, Ms. Fatima bint Abdelmalek, President of the Nouakchott Regional Council, reaffirmed that the conference is in line with the orientations of the Mauritanian government, which endeavors to integrate women into the economic sector and provide them with job opportunities in the digital field.

In his address, Mr. Mohamed Abdallah Louli, Minister of Mauritanian Digital Transformation, Innovation and Modernization of Administration, highlighted the major objectives and axes of the digital transformation strategy in the Republic to provide an appropriate environment for women in the digital field. For her part, Ms. Safiya bint Intah, Minister of Mauritanian Social Affairs, Children and Family, indicated that nearly four thousand projects of women have been funded and more than five thousand girls have been trained in the digital field, in addition to a number of other development programs.

Following the opening session, the Mauritanian First Lady and the Director-General of ICESCO along with the conference guests visited the exhibition, in which the entities and companies operating in the field of digital transformation in Mauritania provided explanations about their efforts to enhance the role of women in digital transformation and provide them with job opportunities.

Afterwards, the conference started its working sessions. The first session discussed ‘Digitization and gender: towards bridging the gender gap in the field of technology’. The second session addressed the topic of ‘Digitization: challenges and opportunities’ while the third session tackled ‘Women for information technology: the path toward success stories of women leaders in digital field’.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), visited the 3rd edition of “Joussour” Exhibition, being held in Casablanca, from 13 to 31 December 2023, by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah, and Guidance of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in collaboration with the Ministry of Habous and Islamic Affairs of the Kingdom of Morocco and the Hassan II Mosque Foundation. This exhibition comes after its first edition in Thailand and the second in Albania.

During the visit, the exhibition organizers provided Dr. AlMalik with a detailed explanation of the rare books and manuscripts displayed at the exhibition. They also presented a hall illustrating the historical journey of Hajj throughout the ages, the role of the King Fahd Glorious Qur’an Printing Complex, Library of the Great Mosque of Mecca, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s efforts in serving Muslims worldwide, as well as a pavilion dedicated to highlighting the historical relations between Saudi Arabia and Morocco.

ICESCO Director-General commended the “Joussour” exhibition, affirming that all three editions of the Exhibition demonstrates Saudi Arabia’s efforts in building bridges with various countries worldwide, in line with the Kingdom’s vision, under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and the Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, Prime Minister, promoting openness and communication with all, in consolidation of the values of coexistence and global peace.

Dr. AlMalik commended the Exhibition for showcasing the depth of historical relations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Kingdom of Morocco. He also noted the importance of its presentations on Quranic competitions, care for Quran, in addition to historical, archaeological, and civilizational mosques, as well as rare manuscripts, serving as rich material for researchers. Moreover, the virtual Hajj journey allowed visitors to explore the rituals of Hajj’ and their performance, and a virtual visit to Mecca.

at the close of his visit, the Director-General extended gratitude to the exhibition organizers for the invitation and appreciated the initiatives by the Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah, and Guidance to present the true image of our compassionate religion, promoting coexistence, love, and peace.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), received Ms. Haifa Najjar, Minister of Culture of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, to discuss ways of fortifying cooperation between ICESCO and Jordan in cultural fields and supporting young innovators.

At the outset of the meeting, held at ICESCO headquarters in Rabat on Monday, 18 December 2023, Dr. AlMalik reviewed the key facets of the Organization’s new vision and strategic orientations rooted in openness and broad partnerships for the benefit of the Islamic world and humanity at large. Dr. AlMalik also shed light on the pivotal initiatives, programs, and projects implemented by ICESCO, particularly those geared towards cultivating the technological and innovative capacities of youth, promoting investment in space sciences, and strengthening the values of coexistence and peace.

Dr. AlMalik underscored the Organization’s commitment to bolstering communication with competent authorities in its Member States. This involves a keen understanding of their needs and priorities to formulate plans and programs aligned with these imperatives. Dr. AlMalik expressed his aspiration to strengthen collaboration between ICESCO and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

For her part, the Jordanian Minister of Culture acknowledged the notable transformations and progress within ICESCO over the past four years, expressing delight at the Organization’s adeptness in enhancing the civilizational splendor of the Islamic world and repositioning it globally to befit its esteemed stature.

Moreover, the meeting explored proposals for collaboration between ICESCO and the Jordanian Ministry of Culture, particularly in the areas of heritage preservation and valorization, as well as the support and cultivation of innovators, with a focus on youth and their active participation in ICESCO’s cultural activities. The meeting concluded with an agreement to maintain coordinated efforts between the two parties to realize these objectives.

Ms. Haifa Najjar welcomed an invitation to contribute intellectually to the publications of ICESCO’s International Think Tank for Thought, Letters, and Arts, “Culture for Rethinking the World”. This platform convenes an esteemed gathering of innovators and notable figures, including intellectuals, scholars, researchers, and thinkers from around the globe.

The meeting was attended by Dr. Abdelilah Benarafa, ICESCO Deputy Director-General, Dr. Mohamed Zinelabidine, Head of the Culture and Communication Sector, and Dr. Barry Koumbou, Head of the Education Sector.

Following the meeting, Dr. AlMalik accompanied the Jordanian Minister of Culture on a tour of ICESCO to exhibit the progress made towards the modernization and development of the Organization’s headquarters and working mechanisms.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met with Mr. Mamadou Tangara, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the Republic of The Gambia, and Mr. Yankuba Dibba, the Chief Executive Officer of the Organizing Committee for the 15th OIC Islamic Summit, to be hosted by The Gambia next year, to discuss ICESCO’s participation details in the Summit.

At the outset of the meeting, held in Rabat, Morocco, Dr. AlMalik warmly welcomed the Gambian delegation, expressing ICESCO’s keenness to bolster collaboration with The Gambia in the fields of education, science, and culture through joint programs and activities tailored to meet The Gambia’s priority needs in these vital sectors.

The meeting discussed the participation of ICESCO’s delegation, led by its Director-General, in the 15th Islamic Summit. In the same vein, Dr. AlMalik emphasized that ICESCO is endeavoring to actively and innovatively contribute to this major event to showcase the Organization’s initiatives and efforts within its area of competence before the Islamic world leaders, which are in perfect alignment with its new vision and strategic orientations. He also expressed his confidence in The Gambian authorities’ ability to efficiently organize this significant international gathering.

The 11th Meeting of the Islamic World Heritage Committee (IWHC), in its new composition, kicked off today, Monday, December 18, 2023, at the headquarters of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. The Meeting saw the election of the Committee’s new Bureau for a four-year term, headed by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan as Vice-Chair and the Republic of Senegal as Rapporteur.

Prior to the Meeting, Dr. Salim. M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General, welcomed the Committee members, expressing his good wishes for the success of this key event. He also commended the IWHC’s work, in its previous composition under the presidency of the State of Kuwait, and the tremendous efforts exerted to inscribe the Islamic world heritage, noting that the Committee represents a key pillar in ICESCO’s strategy to preserve and safeguard heritage, along with building the capacities of young people and professionals in this area.

The Director-General also talked about the Islamic World Heritage Center and its ability to overcome the large number of obstacles it had faced, by attracting remarkable capacities and expertise, to fulfill its goal to inscribe 1,000 heritage sites and cultural elements by 2025.

At the outset, the Committee adopted its Draft Agenda. Dr. Mohammed Zine Alabidine, Head of the Culture and Communication Sector, gave an address where he stressed that the Meeting seeks to inscribe, promote and preserve the heritage of the Islamic world. The Meeting also reviewed several ICESCO’s heritage documents, discussed the Activity Report of the Islamic World Heritage Center and examined the submitted nomination files for the inscription of historic sites and cultural elements in the Islamic World Heritage List.

Moreover, the Meeting elected the new members of the IWHC Bureau, as adopted in the 12th Session of the Conference of Culture Ministers in the Islamic World, held in Doha, State of Qatar, last September, namely, Jordan, Azerbaijan, Brunei Darussalam, Benin, Burkina Faso, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Gabon, Senegal, Kazakhstan, Palestine and Malaysia. The Bureau members selected Mr. Mohammed Al-Aidarous, KSA representative as Chair, Mr. Fadi Abedallah Youssef Balaawi, representative of Jordan as Vice-Chair, and Ms. Ndaye Khady Diouf, representative of Senegal as Rapporteur.

The Meeting’s working sessions examined the nomination files submitted by the Member States to inscribe their historic sites and cultural elements on the Islamic World Heritage Lists.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) mourns the death of His Highness Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Emir of the State of Kuwait, may Allah have mercy on him, who passed away on Saturday (December 16, 2023).

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of ICESCO, for himself and on behalf of all the Organization’s staff, expresses sincere condolences to the ruling family and the people of Kuwait, beseeching Allah Almighty to bestow his mercy on the late Emir and grant him the highest paradise.

At this sorrowful moment, ICESCO Director-General commended the great role the deceased fulfilled in serving cultural issues and developing the fields of science as well as his keenness to strengthen humanitarian action and promote sustainable development, pointing out to the great development of cooperation between ICESCO and the competent Kuwaiti authorities during his reign.