During her official visit to Saudi Arabia, H.E. Mrs. Zahra Zamard Selcuk, Director General of the OIC’s Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Center (SESRIC) in Turkey, visited on Wednesday 26 Dhu’l-Hijjah 1445, corresponding to 3 July 2024, the Academy’s headquarters in Jeddah.

H.E. Prof. Koutoub Moustapha Sano, Secretary General of the Academy, received Her Excellency. She expressed her pleasure to visit the Academy while thanking the Secretary General for the warm welcome, and expressing her desire to strengthen cooperation and partnership between the Academy and the Center: “The Academy and our center can enhance cooperation and coordination in areas of common interest, such as – but not limited to – supporting girls’ education and women’s empowerment: Supporting girls’ education and women’s empowerment in OIC member states, based on the reliable statistics prepared by the Center on various social issues within the OIC member states, and we can also cooperate in promoting awareness of various social issues that concern our countries.”

For his part, His Excellency welcomed his guest and H.E. Dr. Ninden Octavarulia Shanti, Director of the Training and Technical Cooperation Department at the Center, thanking them for the visit and their keenness to enhance cooperation and communication between the Academy and the Center. He then gave a brief overview of the Academy, its vision, mission, initiatives and projects, highlighting in particular that the Academy, as the supreme juristic authority of the OIC Member States has the responsibility to clarify Sharia rulings on new issues and developments, especially family, financial, intellectual, cultural and educational issues, stressing that the Academy is “ready to consolidate relations with the OIC Member States and enhance cooperation between the OIC and the Center.”

The meeting was attended by Dr. Alhagi Manta Drammeh, Head of the International Cooperation and External Relations at the Academy.