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20 August, 2026   |   7 Rabī‘ al-awwal, 1448

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20 August, 2026, 7 Rabī‘ al-awwal, 1448

Press release

05.10.2022   84918   6 min.
Press release

On September 28, 2022, in the "Palace of Symposiums" in Tashkent there was  a mutual dialogue with, the Minister of Hajj and Umrah Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Tawfiq bin Fawzon ar-Rabia and the Chairman of the Committee on Religious Affairs under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan Sodiqjon Toshboev and the Chairman of the Muslims Board of Uzbekistan, Mufti Nuriddin Domla Khaliqnazarov.

The two countries have long been connected by historical, cultural and religious ties. Relations between Uzbekistan and Saudi Arabia are built on the foundations of common and strong cooperation. Our ancestors aspired to Mecca and Medina. They are always fond of visiting holy places such as the House of God - the Kaaba, Arafat, Mina and Muzdalifah valleys, the Rawzai shrines and tombs of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, the Baqi' place where the great companions were buried, the Qiblatain and Quba mosques, and Uhud mountain.

It should be noted that this year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Relations between Uzbekistan and Saudi Arabia have gained positive momentum in recent years, and the quality of mutual cooperation has reached a new level.

In the dialogue, the Chairman of the Committee on Religious Affairs Sadiqjon Toshboev noted that the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoev's state visit to Saudi Arabia on August 17-18 this year at the invitation of two employees of the Holy Mosque, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, serves to raise the cooperation relationship to a higher level.

Importantly, he noted that the long-term friendship between the two nations, the scope of relations based on the principle of brotherhood, has expanded even more.

Also, Hajj and Umra events are being implemented by the Public Council on organizing and holding Hajj and Umra events based on Cabinet of Ministers Decision No. 364. He noted that the pilgrims from Uzbekistan deserve the status of the most exemplary during the annual Hajj season.

The Minister of Hajj and Umrah Affairs, Tawfiq bin Fawzon al-Rabia, noted that the high-level talks between the leaders of the two countries demonstrated the commonality of views. The parties focused on further expansion of mutually beneficial relations between the two countries in trade-economic, investment, cultural-humanitarian, scientific-educational and tourism sectors.

At the meeting, the Chairman of the Board of Muslims of Uzbekistan, Mufti Nuriddin Domla Khaliqnazarov stated that the people performing Hajj and Umrah are the guests of Allah Almighty, and the person who helps them and eases their burden will achieve a great reward.

He also emphasized  that the number of Hajj pilgrims this year has exceeded 12,000, and the number of Umrah pilgrims has exceeded 40,000.

His Highness the Mufti come up with some suggestions regarding further improvement  of the quality of services for Hajj and Umrah pilgrims, preparation more comfortable conditions for them in order to pray in the valleys of Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifa, as well as cooperation in scientific and research works, to hold conferences with the participation of religious scholars, organizing pilgrimages of Saudi Arabia  citizens to ancient cities of Uzbekistan such as Samarkand, Bukhara, Termiz.

Yusuf Salih al-Utaybi, the ambassador of Saudi Arabia in Uzbekistan, said that today's historic meeting will enrich the cooperation with such practical results, and the introduction of visa-free regime for citizens of Saudi Arabia will be one of the important steps in the development of pilgrimage tourism.

During the talks, it was recognized that the state program "Nigoh-2030" is being successfully implemented in Saudi Arabia, that many approaches of the two countries are similar, and that they always support each other in the international arena.

At the meeting, a gratitude was expressed to His Highness the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, His Highness the King of Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and His Highness the Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman, the employee of the Two Holy Mosques, who prepared the ground for such cooperation.

The issue of drafting a Memorandum between the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Committee on Religious Affairs under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan was discussed in the dialogue.

During the visit of the delegation of Saudi Arabia, it is planned to hold talks with the heads of a number of interested ministries and departments, to get acquainted with the activities of educational institutions, scientific research centers, and to visit holy places in our country.

 

Muslims  Board of Uzbekistan

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Uzbekistan received 1,000 rare scholarly books from the Arab World

27.07.2026   43262   5 min.
Uzbekistan received 1,000 rare scholarly books from the Arab World

Uzbekistan is taking confident steps to connect its rich spiritual and cultural heritage with the global academic community by expanding international scientific cooperation, reports iccu.uz.

As a tangible reflection of this effort, the Islamic Civilization Center in Uzbekistan hosted a ceremony to receive 1,000 rare books for its library. The collection was presented by Dr. Muhammad Zakariya Al-Orabi, Head of the Orabi International Group in the Sultanate of Oman and a distinguished researcher and public figure.

The event was attended by representatives of the Committee on Religious Affairs, the leadership of the Islamic Civilization Center in Uzbekistan, scholars, researchers, and leading experts in the field.

During the ceremony, Gulnora Ganieva, Deputy Director of the Center, emphasized that under the leadership of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the development of science, the preservation of cultural heritage, the study of manuscripts, and the acquisition of rare sources preserved in countries around the world have been elevated to the level of state policy.

She noted that the Islamic Civilization Center in Uzbekistan, established at the initiative of the President, has evolved into far more than a museum or a library. Today, it serves as an international platform for scholarly dialogue on the history of Islamic civilization, source studies, and Oriental studies.

“The books presented by the Sultanate of Oman will do far more than enrich our library’s collection. They will serve as a solid foundation for expanding fundamental research in the history of Islamic civilization, Islamic law, Qur’anic exegesis, Hadith studies, Islamic creed, the Arabic language, and many other disciplines. They will also contribute to the education and development of a new generation of scholars,” said Gulnora Ganieva.

Dr. Muhammad Zakariya Al-Orabi described the presentation of the books as a symbolic milestone in the cultural and academic cooperation between the two countries.

“These are not merely books. They represent respect for knowledge, a commitment to enlightenment, and an intellectual bridge that strengthens trust between our peoples. We highly appreciate President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s initiative to establish the Islamic Civilization Center in Uzbekistan. We are confident that this Center will become a distinguished platform uniting the scholarly heritage of the entire Islamic world,” said Dr. Al-Orabi.

According to him, libraries preserve the collective memory of human civilization, and every book opens the door to new knowledge, fresh ideas, and groundbreaking scholarly discoveries. Therefore, investing in knowledge is equivalent to investing in the future.

Davronbek Maqsudov, First Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Religious Affairs, who also attended the ceremony, underscored the significance of this noble initiative for strengthening the country’s academic and research potential.

He noted that bringing fundamental scholarly publications published in the Arab world in recent years to Uzbekistan will expand the pool of reliable academic resources available to researchers, university faculty, master’s students, and young scholars.

The donated collection covers a wide range of disciplines, including Islamic history, Qur’anic exegesis, Hadith studies, Islamic jurisprudence, Islamic creed, the Arabic language, the history of Islamic civilization, and other fields. It also includes recently published academic works from across the Arab world, further strengthening the Center’s Library as one of the region’s richest specialized collections.

In recent years, Uzbekistan has pursued an active foreign policy in the field of cultural diplomacy. At the initiative of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, international cooperation has expanded through the Islamic Civilization Center in Uzbekistan, the International Islamic Academy of Uzbekistan, and the Imam Bukhari, Imam Termizi, and Imam Maturidi International Scientific Research Centers. Joint projects are being implemented in partnership with UNESCO, ICESCO, and a number of leading academic institutions.

The donation of 1,000 rare books from the Sultanate of Oman is regarded as another tangible outcome of this consistent state policy.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, both sides emphasized that this meaningful initiative would further strengthen academic, cultural, and educational cooperation between Uzbekistan and the Sultanate of Oman. They also expressed their readiness to expand collaboration through joint research projects, book exchange programs, scholarly expeditions, and academic initiatives.

Uzbekistan received 1,000 rare scholarly books from the Arab World Uzbekistan received 1,000 rare scholarly books from the Arab World