H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK delivered the message of H.E. Ismail Ould CHEIKH AHMED, Secretary-General of the OIC, at the opening of the Workshop on “Community-Led Management of Islamic and Rural Heritage Tourism”, organised by SESRIC in Cairo on 12 October 2026 as part of its commemorative activities celebrating Cairo as the OIC City of Tourism 2026.

In his message, H.E. CHEIKH AHMED congratulated the Government and people of Egypt on this distinction. He underlined that investing in the preservation and promotion of tangible and intangible heritage means investing in people, empowering future generations and reinforcing the foundations of sustainable and resilient tourism economies. He described Cairo’s designation as the OIC City of Tourism 2026 as a renewed call for collective action to safeguard, promote and sustainably harness the rich cultural heritage of the Islamic world.