"Bayt Mal Al-Quds" announces the launch of the integrated program to support education and training in Jerusalem

SadaNews - The Bayt Mal Al-Quds Al-Sharif Agency, affiliated with the Jerusalem Committee chaired by His Majesty King Mohammed VI, announced today, Wednesday, the launch of the integrated program to support education and training in Jerusalem for the period 2027-2030, during a ceremony held at the exhibition grounds in the Ain Menjad area of Al-Bireh, attended by the director in charge of managing the agency, Dr. Mohammed Salim Al-Sharqawi.

Participants in the program launch ceremony included a member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, head of the Jerusalem Affairs Department Adnan Al-Husseini, head of the Higher Council for Creativity and Excellence, Adnan Smara, Secretary-General of the National Popular Conference for Jerusalem, Major General Bilal Al-Natsha, Deputy Governor of Jerusalem Abdullah Siyam, Moroccan Ambassador to the State of Palestine Abdul Rahim Mzyan, Archbishop of Sebastia for the Greek Orthodox Church, Bishop Atallah Hanna, Secretary-General of the Presidency at Al-Quds University, Safaa Naser Al-Din, Deputy Director of Education in Jerusalem, Chief Editor of Al-Quds newspaper Ibrahim Mlhemm, and several officials, university presidents, and academic figures.

Mr. Al-Sharqawi clarified in his speech during the ceremony that the program is the result of a consultative methodology based on assessing the actual needs of the education sector in Jerusalem, and constitutes an extension of the first plan to support education in Jerusalem (2022-2026), which was announced in Rabat in February 2021, with the participation of representatives from Palestinian and Moroccan educational institutions.

He emphasized that the launch of the program comes amid the increasing challenges faced by Jerusalem, noting that the annual report of the Rabat Observatory for Observation, Monitoring, and Evaluation for 2025 indicated the deteriorating social and economic conditions in the city, which necessitates continuing support for the educational sector, addressing the lack of school infrastructure, supporting students and educational bodies, protecting the Palestinian curriculum, and improving the quality of the educational environment.

He added that the program falls within the high directives of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, President of the Jerusalem Committee, to continue supporting Jerusalem and its people under various circumstances, asserting that the agency continues to implement its message despite limited funding, based on its slogan: "With them in hardship as in times of prosperity."

He affirmed that attention to education is linked to preserving the Palestinian identity and enhancing scientific research, calling on researchers to document information related to Jerusalem, verify documents, and produce scientific studies that contribute to solidifying the Palestinian narrative.

For his part, the Secretary-General of the National Popular Conference for Jerusalem, Major General Bilal Al-Natsha, confirmed that the meeting embodies the depth of fraternal relations between the State of Palestine and the Kingdom of Morocco, reflecting the status that the city of Jerusalem holds with His Majesty King Mohammed VI, President of the Jerusalem Committee, and the Moroccan people, appreciating the ongoing support provided by the Kingdom to bolster the steadfastness of the Jerusalemites.

He stated that the initiatives implemented by the Bayt Mal Al-Quds Al-Sharif Agency meet the needs of the citizens in Jerusalem and represent an Arab and Islamic model in institutional support for the city, indicating that the agency has succeeded in translating royal directives into developmental, humanitarian, educational, and health projects that have had a direct impact on the lives of Jerusalemites and contributed to supporting the sectors of education, health, relief, and social and economic development, while preserving the Arab and Islamic identity of Jerusalem.

Al-Natsha praised the cooperation agreements recently signed between the conference and the Bayt Mal Al-Quds Al-Sharif Agency, particularly the scholarship program for Jerusalem university students, which has expanded to include four universities after being limited to two, benefiting about 400 students annually, stressing that the program represents an investment in the future of the youth, enabling them to continue their education within their city and alleviating the economic burdens on their families.

He commended the support provided by the agency in the humanitarian, relief, health, educational, social, and economic fields, alongside its efforts to preserve the heritage and cultural identity of the holy city.

Al-Natsha renewed his thanks to His Majesty King Mohammed VI, President of the Jerusalem Committee, and to the Kingdom of Morocco, government and people, for their steadfast positions and continuous support for Jerusalem and its people.

The integrated program is divided into four main axes, including: improving the school environment and rehabilitation through the development of schools managed by the education department in Jerusalem, completing the second phase of the project to rehabilitate the buildings of Al-Quds University in Beit Hanina, expanding scholarship grants and training placements for Jerusalem students in Palestinian and Moroccan universities, supporting the startup incubators and digital technologies for university students and linking them to participation in the global "GITEX" exhibitions, in addition to enhancing extracurricular activities and preserving the Palestinian identity through summer schools, winter universities, environmental clubs, cultural and educational programs.

In this context, the director in charge of managing the agency, Mohammed Al-Sharqawi, announced the official launch of "Hackathon Jerusalem 2026" for emerging Palestinian enterprises in the sectors of services, maintenance, digital operations, smart tourism, heritage, and cultural narration using artificial intelligence.

The "Hackathon Jerusalem 2026" program brings together creators, developers, designers, and entrepreneurs to develop technical solutions that respond to real challenges in the city and to convert ideas into executable prototypes within an intensive training environment based on learning, teamwork, and mentorship under the supervision of experts and specialists.

The system includes three open online training courses in e-commerce, digital marketing, and environmental protection professions, combining e-learning with in-person workshops and practical training, aiming to prepare young people from Jerusalem for the demanded professions and contribute to improving employment opportunities and reducing unemployment and poverty.

On the sidelines of the ceremony, the Bayt Mal Al-Quds Al-Sharif Agency honored the top students benefiting from the scholarship program that the agency provides annually to Jerusalem students studying at Palestinian universities, totaling 400 students.

The honored students are: Selin Abu Maziri, Hamza Marmash, Alex Abdullah, Ru’a Ansari, Anas Jibran, Ataf Abu Ghoila, Roudine Shahadeh, Yara Aliyan, from Al-Quds University, Al-Quds Open University, and the Contemporary College, in the fields of medicine, pharmacy, law, business administration, and social work.