His Excellency Dr. Hamdan Musallam Al Mazrouie, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Mohammed bin Zayed University for Humanities, received His Excellency Prof. Koutoub Moustapha Sano, Secretary General of the International Islamic Fiqh Academy (IIFA), on Wednesday, 27 Rabi’ al-Awwal 1443H, corresponding to November 03, 2021G, at the university’s headquarters in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

His Excellency the President of the University began his speech by welcoming his guest and the accompanying delegation, expressing his pleasure for this visit, which confirms the keenness of His Excellency the Secretary General of the Academy to strengthen relations of cooperation and partnership between the Academy and the leading scientific institutions within the member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). He also expressed his high appreciation for the distinguished intellectual contributions of His Excellency the Secretary General in the field of rationalizing religious discourse, spreading the values ​​of moderation, tolerance, and peaceful coexistence, and promoting belonging and commitment to the requirements of citizenship, rejecting all forms of extremism, fanatism, and violence. His Excellency also indicated that Mohamed bin Zayed University is working to prepare a balanced, distinguished, and efficient generation of young people who bear the concerns of the nation, and work to advance its institutions in coherence with the directives of the wise leadership that God has bestowed upon this blessed country. His Excellency concluded his speech by expressing the university’s readiness for close cooperation with the Academy by signing a cooperation agreement in scientific and research fields of common interest and exchanging knowledge sources and publications.

For his part, His Excellency the Secretary General expressed his sincere thanks and appreciation to His Excellency the President of the University for the warm welcome, praising the generous support and distinguished care of the Academy from the wise leadership of the United Arab Emirates, and praising the UAE’s hosting of three distinguished annual sessions. His Excellency also expressed his great gratitude to the UAE, which undertook to bear the cost of preparing the largest scholarly encyclopedia of Fiqh and Usuli maxims throughout Islamic history, which is Zayed’s Encyclopedia of Fiqh and Usuli Maxims, expressing on this occasion the Academy’s desire to reprint the encyclopedia after its revision comprehensively, in an effort to enable scholars and researchers across the globe to benefit from this great scientific treasure.

His Excellency also expressed his aspiration to sign a cooperation agreement between the two institutions in the near future in order to strengthen the bonds of communication, integration, and cooperation. His Excellency concluded his speech by inviting the President of the University, the Chancellor, and the two Vice Chancellors to visit the General Secretariat of the Academy in Jeddah to set the general framework to begin re-edition of the revised version of the encyclopedia, and to continue discussing ways to enhance cooperation and coordination between the two institutions in all fields.

The meeting was attended by His Excellency Dr. Khaled Al Dhaheri, University Chancellor, His Excellency Dr. Saif Al Shaali, Vice Chancellor for Development and Investment, and His Excellency Dr. Khalifa Al Dhaheri, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. Also attended from the Academy Ms. Sarah Amjad, Director of the Family and Women’s Affairs Department, Mr. Khaled Al Ahmadi, Head of the Administrative Affairs and Training Division, and Mr. Amjad Al Mansi, Head of the Protocol Division.