RABAT, May 5, 2026 (WAFA) – Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Hani Al-Hayek met on Tuesday with the Director General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), Salim Al-Malik, to discuss prospects of cooperation in protecting Palestinian cultural heritage.
The meeting was held on the sidelines of the international conference “Managing Cultural Heritage in Times of Conflict and Post-Recovery,” taking place in the Moroccan capital, Rabat.
Al-Hayek stressed the importance of joint work between Palestine and ICESCO to protect Palestinian archaeological sites from the risks they face amid the exceptional circumstances in Palestine.
He also emphasized the need to intensify efforts to rebuild what can be restored from archaeological and historical sites that were destroyed in the Gaza Strip as a result of the ongoing Israeli aggression, noting that Gaza hosts unique archaeological and historical sites of global significance that deserve serious restoration efforts.
For his part, Al-Malik highlighted the historical relations between the organization and Palestine, affirming ICESCO’s readiness to provide all forms of support for the protection of tangible cultural heritage in Palestine.
The meeting also discussed cooperation in the field of restoration training, particularly in the Gaza Strip, and explored the possibility of establishing a permanent exhibition at ICESCO titled “Gaza 5,000 Years.”
It was further agreed that ICESCO would contact the Heydar Aliyev Foundation in the Republic of Azerbaijan to contribute to the restoration of parts of the sites destroyed in Gaza.
The discussions also included organizing specialized training programs and workshops on cultural heritage preservation, launching capacity-building initiatives for experts and heritage custodians in Palestine, and signing a memorandum of understanding between the two sides outlining a cooperation framework to implement joint programs, projects, and initiatives aimed at safeguarding and valuing cultural heritage.
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