Baghdad: The Iraqi Ministry of Culture announced Wednesday that it is poised to host the Conference of Ministers of Culture in the Islamic World next year, with the participation of 57 countries from the Islamic world.
According to Qatar News Agency, this conference, a first in Iraq's history, aims to reinforce cultural and civilizational outreach with 57 nations, creating opportunities for partnerships and communication. Ahmed Al Ilyawi, the Official Spokesperson of the Iraqi Ministry of Culture, highlighted the significance of this event in press remarks.
Al Ilyawi further indicated that in 2026, Iraq is set to be bustling with major cultural events, especially after Baghdad was chosen as the Capital of Islamic Culture by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO).
The 13th iteration of this conference, hosted by the Ministry of Culture of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Jeddah on February 12-13, 2025, adopted the "Jeddah Declaration". This declaration celebrated the designation of Baghdad and Kazan as Cultural Capitals of the Islamic World for 2026 under the ICESCO Programme of Capitals of Culture in the Islamic World.