JEDDAH — Saudi Arabia will hold the Executive Council meeting and the General Conference meeting of the Arab Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) during May 14-17 with the participation of 22 Arab countries. The meetings, to be held in Jeddah, comes in light of Saudi Arabia's interest in the sectors of education, culture and science, while strengthening relations with countries of the Arab and Islamic world. The hosting comes following the directives of the Minister of Culture Prince Badr Bin Farhan. The Executive Council 121st session will be held on May 14 and 15, and the General Conference 27th session will be held on May 17. The meetings will see the participation of more than 145 countries from the Arab world and representatives from Arab organizations in Jeddah. The event is being organized by the National Committee for Education and Culture and science. The holding of the ALECSO meetings coincides with an increase in the role of Saudi national institutions in supporting the work of ALECSO nearly three years ago, as the number of Saudi initiatives exceeded 45 initiatives. This indicates Saudi Arabia's interest and belief in the importance of working with international organizations and their regional environment. These initiatives include launching "Talented Arabs" program, launching the faculty development program, holding the conference on the future of education, culture and science organizations, and the ALECSO Forum for Business and Partnerships initiative, which was held in Tunisia in January 2024. Saudi Arabia joined ALECSO in the Arab Awards Forum and signed the agreement to establish the Arab Observatory for Translation in Riyadh, which is the first regional body in the Gulf region and Saudi Arabia under the ALECSO umbrella since its establishment 52 years ago. This initiative will be announced this month during the meetings in Jeddah. The General Conference meeting is considered one of the important cultural events in the Arab world, as ministers participate in this session by reviewing the results and outcomes of the Arabic Language Conference and international organizations, which is held in conjunction with this session.
