Saudi Arabia to Conclude ALECSO Presidencies at Muscat Meetings

Saudi Arabia will conclude its presidency of the Executive Council of the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) during its 125th session, and of the organization’s 28th General Conference, at meetings to be held in the Omani capital, Muscat, from November 9 to 12, with the participation of member states, SPA reported.

The two meetings come two years after Saudi Arabia assumed the presidency of the General Conference in Jeddah in May 2024, and five years after it took over the Executive Council’s chair in July 2021, according to SPA.

Muscat will host the sessions across four days, with the Executive Council and the General Conference meeting on separate dates within that window. The Executive Council is scheduled to meet on November 9 and 10 to discuss agenda items, proposals submitted by member states, and committee reports. The General Conference will meet on November 12, during which Saudi Arabia will hand over the presidency of its 28th session to Oman.

Why does the handover of a regional organization’s presidency draw attention beyond the meeting room? The transfer of the General Conference chair from Saudi Arabia to Oman marks the end of a term that began in Jeddah in May 2024, while the Executive Council chair, held since July 2021, also closes at these sessions.

Both meetings will focus on appointing an assistant director-general of the organization, following the reinstatement of the position in its organizational structure and approval of funding for it, as well as endorsing the recommendations of five special committees. The reinstatement of the assistant director-general post and the approval of its funding are among the items set for the two gatherings, alongside the committee recommendations.

At its meeting, the General Conference will discuss the draft budget and program for the 2027–2028 financial cycle, as well as the main pillars of the draft vision for the organization’s future work beyond 2028. What will the 2027–2028 financial cycle mean for the organization’s programs, and how will the vision beyond 2028 shape its future work? Those questions sit at the center of the General Conference agenda in Muscat.

At the conclusion of the General Conference, ALECSO is scheduled to sign five agreements with countries affected by conflicts, crises, disasters, and emergencies: Sudan, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, and Yemen. This implements an Executive Council decision to adopt Saudi Arabia’s proposal to allocate $1 million to them during the 2027–2028 financial cycle, the first initiative of its kind in the organization’s history.

How does a single allocation of $1 million reach five countries facing conflicts, crises, disasters, and emergencies? The agreements are set to be signed at the conclusion of the General Conference, carrying out the Executive Council decision that adopted the Saudi proposal for the 2027–2028 financial cycle.

The five agreements cover Sudan, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, and Yemen, each listed by SPA among the countries affected by conflicts, crises, disasters, and emergencies. The allocation of $1 million during the 2027–2028 financial cycle is described as the first initiative of its kind in the organization’s history.

What does it take to reinstate a position inside an organization’s structure and secure funding for it? The assistant director-general post returns to the organizational structure with approved funding, and the appointment itself is on the agenda of both meetings in Muscat.

The Executive Council’s two days of meetings on November 9 and 10 will cover agenda items, proposals submitted by member states, and committee reports. The General Conference follows on November 12, when the presidency of the 28th session passes to Oman.

Five special committees have recommendations set for endorsement at the meetings. The draft budget and program for the 2027–2028 financial cycle and the main pillars of the draft vision for work beyond 2028 are also on the General Conference’s discussion list.

Which member states will take the floor when proposals and committee reports come up? The meetings are held with the participation of member states, and the Executive Council’s agenda includes proposals submitted by those states.

Saudi Arabia’s presidency of the General Conference began in Jeddah in May 2024, two years before the Muscat meetings. Its chair of the Executive Council began in July 2021, five years before the sessions where both roles conclude.

The Muscat meetings run from November 9 to 12. The Executive Council meets first, on November 9 and 10. The General Conference meets on November 12, the final day of the four-day window.

What happens when a presidency that began in Jeddah and a chair that began in July 2021 both end in the same week? The handover to Oman at the 28th General Conference closes the General Conference term, while the 125th Executive Council session closes the council term.

The assistant director-general appointment, the five committee recommendations, the 2027–2028 draft budget and program, and the draft vision beyond 2028 form the working agenda across the two meetings. The five agreements with Sudan, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, and Yemen are scheduled for signing at the conclusion of the General Conference.

The $1 million allocation for the 2027–2028 financial cycle implements the Executive Council decision adopting Saudi Arabia’s proposal, and SPA describes it as the first initiative of its kind in the organization’s history.

How will the five agreements be carried out after they are signed? SPA did not include the implementation steps, the signing ceremony details, or the names of the officials who will attend the Muscat meetings.

The source also did not include the names of the member states participating, the full text of the proposals submitted, the identities of the five special committees, or the amounts in the draft budget beyond the $1 million allocation.

What presidencies will Saudi Arabia conclude at the Muscat meetings? Saudi Arabia will conclude its presidency of the Executive Council of the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization during its 125th session, and of the organization’s 28th General Conference. The meetings will be held in the Omani capital, Muscat, from November 9 to 12, with the participation of member states. The General Conference session on November 12 is when Saudi Arabia hands over its presidency to Oman, closing a term that began in Jeddah in May 2024, while the Executive Council chair, held since July 2021, also ends.

When did Saudi Arabia assume the two ALECSO presidencies? Saudi Arabia assumed the presidency of the General Conference in Jeddah in May 2024, two years before the Muscat meetings. It took over the Executive Council’s chair in July 2021, five years before the sessions where both roles conclude. The Executive Council is scheduled to meet on November 9 and 10, and the General Conference on November 12. The handover of the 28th General Conference session presidency to Oman takes place during that final meeting day.

What is on the agenda of the Executive Council and General Conference? The Executive Council will discuss agenda items, proposals submitted by member states, and committee reports during its November 9 and 10 meetings. Both meetings will focus on appointing an assistant director-general following the reinstatement of the position in the organizational structure and approval of funding for it, as well as endorsing the recommendations of five special committees. The General Conference will also discuss the draft budget and program for the 2027–2028 financial cycle and the main pillars of the draft vision for work beyond 2028.

What agreements will ALECSO sign and with which countries? At the conclusion of the General Conference, ALECSO is scheduled to sign five agreements with countries affected by conflicts, crises, disasters, and emergencies: Sudan, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, and Yemen. This implements an Executive Council decision to adopt Saudi Arabia’s proposal to allocate $1 million to them during the 2027–2028 financial cycle. SPA describes the allocation as the first initiative of its kind in the organization’s history, with the signing set for the close of the Muscat meetings.

What does the $1 million allocation cover and when? The $1 million allocation falls within the 2027–2028 financial cycle and implements an Executive Council decision adopting Saudi Arabia’s proposal. It is directed to Sudan, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, and Yemen, listed by SPA as countries affected by conflicts, crises, disasters, and emergencies. The five agreements tied to the allocation are scheduled to be signed at the conclusion of the General Conference. SPA describes the initiative as the first of its kind in the organization’s history.

What did the source not include about the Muscat meetings? SPA did not include the names of the officials attending, the identities of the five special committees, the full text of the proposals submitted by member states, or the names of participating member states beyond the reference to their participation. It also did not detail implementation steps for the five agreements or signing ceremony arrangements. The draft budget figures beyond the $1 million allocation were not listed, and the main pillars of the draft vision beyond 2028 were not spelled out.