His Eminence the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, Prof. Ahmad Al-Tayyeb received H.E. Mr. Ahmed Ali Berri, Ambassador of the Republic of Djibouti to Egypt, to discuss ways to enhance academic and religious cooperation between Al-Azhar Al-Sharif and Djibouti.

The Grand Imam emphasized the deep ties between Al-Azhar Al-Sharif and Djibouti, as well as his commitment to supporting the country’s youth through academic and religious dawah efforts. He noted that there are approximately 280 Djiboutian students studying at Al-Azhar—188 in pre-university education and 91 at Al-Azhar University—in addition to the 15 scholarships allocated annually to students from Djibouti.

His Eminence also noted that Al-Azhar dispatches five envoys for pre-university education to Djibouti, as well as nine professors from Al-Azhar University to teach at the Institute of Moderation. He affirmed Al-Azhar’s readiness to establish an Arabic language center in Djibouti to serve the local community and promote the learning of the language of the Holy Quran.

For his part, Berri expressed his pleasure at meeting the Grand Imam and conveyed his country’s deep appreciation for Al-Azhar Al-Sharif and its role in promoting moderate thought. He commended the efforts of Al-Azhar mission and the scholarships provided to Djiboutian students, affirming his country’s commitment to Al-Azhar’s approach. He further noted that the Institute of Moderation in Djibouti stands as a significant center of learning in the country, and that students there aspire to enroll at Al-Azhar Al-Sharif to benefit from its scholarship and moderate approach.