Dr Abdallah Hamad Muhareb, Director General of the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO), passed away on Thurs 4 May. He was 71 years old.
Of Kuwaiti nationality, Dr Muhareb received his doctorate at Cairo University in 1987. After a distinguished career as a cultural diplomat in various settings including at the Embassy of Kuwait in Egypt, Dr Muhareb was elected to the post of ALECSO Director-General in 2012. He began his mandate in 2013 and was extended for a second mandate into 2017.
Dr Muhareb was a good friend and partner to ICCROM, establishing solid work relations with two ICCROM Directors-General, Stefano De Caro and Mounir Bouchenaki. During his mandate at ALECSO, Dr Muhareb strongly promoted ALECSO’s collaboration with ICCROM and its ICCROM-ATHAR Regional Conservation Centre on capacity building activities to strengthen capacities of official heritage institutions in the Arab region.
This collaboration was enshrined in a Memorandum of Understanding signed between ICCROM and ALECSO in March 2014 at the ALECSO headquarters in Tunisia.
The Director-General and staff of ICCROM extend their deepest condolences to Dr Muhareb’s family, friends, and professional colleagues worldwide.