Program
Download the program here.
Day 1: Tuesday, 10 November 2026, Small Theater
9:00 – 10:00
(60 minutes)
Registration
10:00 – 10:05
(5 minutes)
Welcome Remarks
10:05 – 10:40
(35 minutes)
Keynote speeches
Prof. Ahmed A. Zayed
Director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina
Libraries in the Digital Age
(Documentary Video)
Mr. Ertuğrul Çimen
Library Director, MEF University, TurkeyChair Regional Council and Governing Board Member, IFLA
Prof. Emad Eissa Saleh
President of the Arab Federation of Libraries and Information (AFLI), Egypt10:45 – 12:15
(90 minutes)
Panel 1:
Libraries, and Social and Cultural Transformations
Moderator
Prof. Ahmed A. Zayed
Director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina
Speakers
Prof. Ossama Talaat
CEO of the Egyptian National Library and Archives, EgyptProf. Gilles Pécout
President of the Bibliothèque Nationale de France (BnF), France(Online Participation)
Ms. Samira Elmalizi
Director General of the National Library of the Kingdom of Morocco, Morocco12:15 – 12:30
(15 minutes)
Group Photo
(B1 Level - Open Area)
12:30 – 13:45
(75 minutes)
Coffee Break
13:45 – 15:30
(105 minutes)
Panel 2:
Knowledge Empowerment and Information Literacy: Fighting Fake News and Misinformation
Moderator
Mr. Mohamed Elhawary
Executive Director and Editor-in-Chief of Al-Fanar MediaRepresentative of the Arab States on the UNESCO Media and Information Literacy Alliance’s Global Board
Speakers
Dr. Alberto Manguel
Writer, Translator, Editor and CriticFormer Director of Argentina National Library, Argentina
Prof. Rasha Saad Sharaf
Secretary General of the Educational Development FundProfessor of International Education and Educational Administration at Capital University (formerly Helwan University), Egypt
Dr. Ashraf Sheta
CEO of AS for Consultancy and Training, Egypt15:35 – 17:05
(90 minutes)
Panel 3:
User Experience and Modern Library Services
Moderator
Prof. Ossama Talaat
CEO of the Egyptian National Library and Archives, Egypt
Speakers
Ms. Dina Youssef
Head of the Library Sector, Bibliotheca AlexandrinaDr. Essraa Nawar
Assistant Dean for Library Engagement and Program InitiativesChair of the Artificial Intelligence Committee at Leatherby Libraries, Chapman University, CA, USA
Prof. Khaled El Halaby
Professor of Library Information Science, Cairo University, EgyptChairman of the Board of Trustees of the Arab Knowledge Management Foundation
17:05 – 18:05
(60 minutes)
Break
18:30 – 20:30
(120 minutes)
Cultural Night Concert
(Great Hall)
Day 2: Wednesday, 11 November 2026, Small Theater
10:00 – 11:00
(60 minutes)
Registration
11:00 – 11:05
(5 minutes)
Welcome Remarks
11:10 – 12:00
(50 minutes)
Panel 1:
New Technology Ethics and Governance
Moderator
Ms. Dina Youssef
Head of the Library Sector, Bibliotheca Alexandrina
Speakers
Mr. Firass Darabah
Director General of the National Library of Jordan, JordanProf. Ahmed Elmahdy
Dean of the School of Information Technology and Computer Science (ITCS) at Nile University, Egypt12:00– 13:15
(75 minutes)
Coffee Break
13:20 – 14:35
(75 minutes)
Panel 2:
The Data-Driven Library Ecosystem
Moderator
Dr. Mohamed El Zalabany
Library Systems Consultant, Founder of Egyptian Prime Vision, Egypt
Speakers
Dr. Heba Saleh
Director of Information Technology Institute (ITI), EgyptMs. Tan Huism
Executive Director of Qatar National Library, QatarDr. Ahmed Mohamed Ali
Assistant Professor of Information Studies, Faculty of Arts, Minia University, Egypt14:40 – 15:55
(75 minutes)
Panel 3:
Knowledge Management and Digital Industry
Moderator
Prof. Khaled El Halaby
Professor of Library Information Science, Cairo University, EgyptChairman of the Board of Trustees of the Arab Knowledge Management Foundation
Speakers
Dr. Abdullah Majed Al Ali
Director General of the United Arab Emirates National Library and Archives, United Arab EmiratesMs. Hannah Sommers
Associate Librarian for Researcher and Collections Services at the Library of Congress, United States of AmericaMs. Marie Grégoire
CEO of the Bibliothèque et Archives Nationales du Québec, Canada(Online Participation)
16:00 – 16:15
(15 minutes)
Closing Remarks and Recommendations
Ms. Dina Youssef
Head of the Library Sector, Bibliotheca AlexandrinaLast updated: 5 November 2026, 10:20 (EET)