The Muslim World League is initiating its first official relations with Uzbekistan from the Center of Islamic Civilization

An online meeting was held between the Center of Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan and the Muslim World League, headquartered in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

The meeting was attended by Nodir Turgunov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Uzbekistan to Saudi Arabia; Firdavs Halimov, Deputy Director of the Center of Islamic Civilization; Davronbek Maksudov, Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Religious Affairs; as well as Muhammad Abdulwahhab Ash-Shahri, Assistant for Corporate Affairs to the Secretary-General of the Muslim World League; Mashhour Umar Abu Shaaf, Senior Researcher at the Muslim World League; and Shakir Salah Al-Adwani, Head of the Conferences and Events Department.

“Several meetings have previously been held at our embassy with the Secretary-General of the Muslim World League. As a result of these dialogues, significant steps have been taken to organize an official visit to the Center of Islamic Civilization and to establish cooperation. Projects related to organizing conferences on Hadith studies in Uzbekistan, supporting local Hadith scholars, and recognizing their scholarly potential were also discussed”, said Ambassador Nodir Turgunov.

In turn, Davronbek Maksudov noted: “There has already been close cooperation with the Muslim World League. Meetings were held with the organization’s representatives within the framework of the Bukhara Declaration. In particular, during a discussion with Dr. Abdulaziz Sarhan, the issue of inviting the Secretary-General to Uzbekistan was raised. Negotiations have also been held regarding the Secretary-General’s visit to the Center of Islamic Civilization and the Imam Bukhari International Scientific-Research Center, as well as his participation in the 9th International Conference on Cultural Heritage expected to take place in Samarkand in August 2025”.

During the meeting, Firdavs Halimov, Deputy Director of the Center of Islamic Civilization, spoke about the Center’s main areas of activity.

“The Center is implementing major initiatives in the fields of international academic cooperation, educational activities, and the study of ancient Islamic heritage. The building itself was constructed with a unique architectural approach. In particular, it is planned to place the 7th-century Uthman Mushaf the historical Uthman Qur’an under the Center’s main dome, which holds immense significance for the Islamic heritage of the world,” said Firdavs Halimov.

Saudi participants, including Muhammad Ash-Shahri and Dr. Shakir Al-Adwani, expressed their interest and respect for the Center of Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan, emphasizing that the Muslim World League intends to initiate its first official relations in Uzbekistan through this very Center. These visits and cooperation efforts will be coordinated through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Uzbek Embassy in Saudi Arabia.

At the end of the meeting, both sides agreed to further strengthen bilateral cooperation and to jointly implement international-scale projects in collaboration with Uzbekistan’s scientific and spiritual institutions.

Information service of the Center of Islamic Civilization