The 56-member Organization of Islamic Conference, the largest Muslim organization in the world, should have a seat on the UN Security Council, said Prof. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, its secretary-general.
“One of the important objectives for which I have been exerting a lot of efforts was to have a seat for OIC in the Security Council to represent 1.5 billion Muslims in the world,” Ihsanoglu told reporters in Cairo.
Speaking about the challenges facing the Islamic Ummah, he said they include poverty, lack of economic integration, Jewish settlement in occupied Arab territories, and Judaization of Jerusalem (Al-Quds).
Asked about the new OIC presidency of Egypt for the next three years, Ihsanoglu said: “Egypt is a leading country in the Islamic world. It has a long history of defending Muslim causes.”
He said the OIC has set out a plan to develop Jerusalem in cooperation with the Palestine Authority and the Islamic Development Bank.
He said more diplomatic efforts were required to mobilize international support for recognition of Palestine as a state by the United Nations. “UNESCO has recognized Palestine as a full member. This is a big achievement.”
The OIC foreign ministers, meanwhile, held a meeting in Cairo to finalize the agenda for the Feb. 6-7 Islamic Summit.
Deputy Foreign Minister Prince Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah, who attended the meeting, stressed the Kingdom’s efforts for the success of Islamic causes.
“The summit is significant as it comes at a time when Muslim countries are going through sensitive and delicate crises,” he added.
OIC demands seat on top UN body to represent Muslims
OIC demands seat on top UN body to represent Muslims
Children’s Theater Festival opens in Qassim region
- To develop future ‘cultural architects,’ says CEO Khaled Al-Baz
- ‘Nurture creativity, aesthetic awareness and sense of belonging’
BURAIDAH: The Qassim Children’s Theater Festival opened on Tuesday bringing together professionals from across Saudi Arabia and the Gulf.
The event is being held under the patronage of Prince Dr. Faisal bin Mishaal bin Saud bin Abdulaziz, governor of Qassim, at the Science Center in Unaizah governorate.
It has been Organized by the Theater and Performing Arts Association and executed by the Unaizah Theater Association, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Running until Jan. 31, it features shows, panel discussions, as well as training workshops to develop children’s theater and strengthen professional skills in the field.
Khaled Al-Baz, CEO of the Theater and Performing Arts Association, told the SPA the festival forms part of a broader strategy to position children’s theater as a distinct cultural sector.
“Children today constitute genuine audiences — tomorrow’s cultural architects,” Al-Baz said.
Ahmed Al-Humaimidi, president of the Unaizah Theater Association, said it was an investment in young people, noting that it extends beyond performances to include cultural and educational programming.
He said the initiative aims to nurture creativity, aesthetic awareness and a sense of belonging, while also identifying emerging talent and encouraging knowledge exchange among theater practitioners.
“Our association recognizes children’s theater as foundational to cultivating aware, creative character,” he said.
The festival serves as both an artistic showcase and a platform for professional dialogue, reflecting the Kingdom’s expanding cultural landscape and growing focus on children’s theater as an educational and cultural tool, the SPA noted.
This occurs alongside support for signature initiatives and performing arts promotion as quality-of-life enhancement.
