REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The Saudi National Committee for Education, Culture and Science (NCECS) has signed an agreement with the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) on executive plans for the kingdom’s Hajj Pilgrimage Routes and Historical Mosques program.

According to a statement from ICESCO on Thursday, the move is a part of the Saudi Arabian kingdom’s commitment to advancing the educational, scientific, and cultural sectors under the auspices of HRH the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and His Crown Prince.

The agreement, which was signed on the sidelines of the 44th meeting of the ICESCO Executive Council in Jeddah, aims to reinforce the cultural role of Islam and cement the stature of the Two Holy Mosques as hubs of world peace and culture.

It also defines the measures necessary for safeguarding the archaeological sites along the traditional routes of Hajj toward the holy city of Mecca (Makkah) as well as the historical mosques located in the organization’s member states.

The terms of the agreement provide for cementing the status of the Hajj routes and historical mosques as well as safeguarding their material and immaterial aspects as they stand as original cultural and civilizational landmarks in the Islamic states where they are located.

Under the program, all historical mosques and agroecological sites will be recorded, cataloged, and then inscribed on ICESCO’s World Heritage Sites & Elements, which is expected to boost and bolster the industries related to Hajj in different countries across the globe.

Interactive structural venues, such as museums, electronic platforms, and promotional networks, will also be established, and their role will be to shed light on the chronological development of the Hajj routes to Mecca and the related historical mosques.

A global, uniform ecosystem of Hajj will also be created through supporting and marketing national products related to the pilgrimage’s rituals in all the ICESCO member states.

Throughout history, the Two Holy Mosques have been the confluence of different civilizations, and they have stood as beacons of co-existence, cultural exchange, and global peace.

It is common knowledge that the routes of the Hajj and the landmarks situated along them represent the culture and heritage shared by numerous Muslim countries and their people.