His Excellency Ambassador Hussein Ibrahim Taha, Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and Chairman of the Academy’s Bureau, chaired the first meeting of the Bureau for the year 2023, via videoconferencing, on Thursday, 22 Safar 1445, corresponding to September 7, 2023, with the participation of H.E. Sheikh Dr. Saleh bin Abdullah bin Humaid, Chairman of the Council of the Academy, Vice-Chairman of the Bureau of the Academy, and H.E. Prof. Koutoub Moustapha Sano, Secretary-General of the Academy, and Secretary of the Bureau, H.E. Dr. Abu Bakr Dokuri, Academy member, representative of the African Group in the Bureau, and H.E. Dr. Ajeel Jassim Al-Nashmi, Academy member and representative of the Arab Group in the Bureau, H.E. Dr. Ahmed Abdel Aziz Al-Haddad, Academy member and representative of the Arab Group in the Bureau, and H.E. Dr. Mortada Badr, Academy member and representative of the Asian Group in the Bureau.

H.E. Mr. Hussein Ibrahim Taha, Secretary-General of the OIC and the Chairman of the Bureau, welcomed distinguished members of the Bureau, praising the President of the Academy for his guidance and follow-up so as to achieve the noble objectives for which the Academy was established. His Excellency extended his thanks and appreciation to the Secretary General of the Academy for his appreciated efforts to advance and develop the Academy in the service of Islam and Muslims, wishing them success, stressing that the OIC’s Secretariat General considers the Academy as one of its most important organs that the Ummah needs in this era given the numerous challenges, critical issues, and the rapid transformations in today’s world, which confirms the prominent role of scholars as the official and trusted legal institution for clarifying Sharia rulings in calamities and developments. His Excellency also expressed his sincere appreciation to the Bureau’s members, wishing them a successful meeting with positive outcomes.

For his part, the President of the Academy welcomed the Secretary-General of the OIC and the Academy’s members, thanking everyone for their participation and continued support for the Academy, and seizing this occasion to extend the highest expressions of thanks and appreciation to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and his faithful Crown Prince, H.R.H. Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Prime Minister – may Allah protect them – for the great facilities provided by the Kingdom’s government to enable the Academy to hold the twenty-fifth session in Jeddah under the patronage HRH Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Governor of Makkah Al-Mukarramah Region. His Excellency also took the opportunity to bring good news to the Bureau members regarding the Kingdom of Morocco’s approval to host the twenty-sixth session in the city of Rabat under the high patronage of HM King Mohammed VI – may Allah protect him – and the Emiri Diwan in the State of Qatar’s approval to host the twenty-seventh session in Doha under the patronage of HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar – may Allah protect him.

On his part, H.E. Prof. Koutoub Moustapha Sano, Secretary-General of the Academy, expressed his thanks and appreciations to the headquarters country, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, both leadership and people, for what the Academy has enjoyed since its founding to the present day, which enabled it to organize its activities and programs and implement its projects with complete ease.

The meeting then discussed the items on its agenda, which included approving the minutes of the previous Bureau meeting, as well as presenting to the members the recommendations of the symposia, meetings, and statements between Shaban 1444 to Muharram 1445, which include the symposium on breastfeeding premature babies with milk from known and unknown mothers, the agreements signed by the Secretariat General of the Academy with many ministries, boards and scientific institutions inside and outside the OIC countries, as well as the management and financial report and the arrears of member states’ contributions to the Academy’s budget in the current year.

At the end of the meeting, the President of the Academy expressed his sincere thanks to the Bureau members, who expressed their deep appreciation and satisfaction with the achievements made by the Secretariat General at all levels, as well as for its diligent work and continuous communication with Muslims around the world, which is worth praising.

The meeting was attended by Dr. Abdelfattah Mahmoud Abnaouf, Director of Planning and International Cooperation, Mr. Al-Moez Abdel-Razzaq Al-Riahi, Director of Financing and Projects, Ms. Sarah Bint Amjad Hussein, Director of Family, Women and Children Affairs, Mr. Hassan Ibrahim Kumait, Head of Tech, and Mr. Saad. Al-Sammar, Head of Media.