MADINAH — The Executive Council of the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) Tuesday started its 116th session in AlUla, northwest of Saudi Arabia, with the participation of 21 Arab countries.

The deliberations of the three-day meeting will establish a transitional phase for the ALECSO in terms of strategic directions and the promotion of Arab integration.

At the beginning of the meeting, Chairman of the Executive Council of ALECSO Hani Bin Mogbil Al-Mogbil expressed his thanks to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman for the approval and full support for Saudi Arabia's hosting of the meeting of the ALECSO's Executive Council after more than 42 years. The earlier meeting was held n 1979 in Taif.

He also praised the efforts of Minister of Culture and Chairman of the National Committee for Education, Culture and Science Prince Badr Bin Abdullah Bin Farhan to promote ALECSO in building cultural bridges between Arab peoples and supporting innovation and creativity.

For his part, ALECSO Director General Dr. Mohamed Ould Amar said that Tuesday's meeting, under the care given by Crown Prince through the Royal Commission for AlUla, will support ALECSO’s efforts and enhance cooperation with Arab and international organizations and institutions, which will be a strategic goal to serve the ALECSO, maximize its status and achieve its mission.

He added that 20 agreements were signed in 2021 to support the ALECSO’s executive programs.

Meanwhile, the delegations of the countries participating in the ALECSO meeting visited Tuesday the historical landmarks in AlUla Governorate.

The visit's program comes on the sidelines of the activities of ALECSO meetings. The delegations, which are from 21 countries, expressed their admiration for AlUla heritage. — SPA