JEDDAH: Ministers and other representatives from 22 Arab nations gathered in Jeddah on Tuesday for the start of the 121st session of the Executive Council of the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization. The two-day session concludes on Wednesday and will be followed on Friday by the organization’s General Conference. During the meetings, hosted by the Saudi National Committee for Education, Culture and Science, the participants will discuss important topics, initiatives and proposals related to knowledge sharing, scientific advancement, and innovation within the framework of the work of the organization, the Saudi Press Agency reported. During the opening session, Hani Al-Moqbel, chairperson of ALESCO’s Executive Council, expressed deep concern about the ongoing crisis Palestinians face as a result of the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas. He unequivocally condemned and rejected a senseless and brutal conflict that has claimed the lives of countless civilians, including women, children and the elderly, and denounced as unacceptable the destruction by the Israeli military campaign of hospitals, religious sites, schools, cultural institutions and other infrastructure. The council, led by its Saudi presidency, expressed its strong condemnation of the continued aggression, occupation and forced displacement in Gaza. Al-Moqbel said that such expressions are not merely procedural or symbolic, they represent a forward-thinking approach to fostering Arab unity, upholding core principles and bolstering shared values. In this way, he added, Arab nations can effectively tackle challenges and overcome hurdles on their paths to advancement. Mohammed Walad Amar, the director general of ALECSO, highlighted the organization’s commitment to the promotion of the cultural heritage of Arab countries on the global stage. In keeping with this vision, he said, ALECSO has worked with several countries with the aim of securing recognition of more of their cultural treasures on the highly esteemed UNESCO World Heritage List. As an example of its active engagement in these efforts, he noted that ALECSO took part in the UNESCO Culture and Education Ministers’ Conference in the UAE in February. Other topics discussed on the opening day included challenges that Arab nations face in the fields of education, culture and science, innovative potential solutions to the problems, and ways to forge new partnerships that can broaden the horizons of education and thinking.