According to the Central News Department of the Alawi Holy Shrine, the al-Nathm Center—affiliated with the Strategic Planning and Development Unit—constitutes one of the core and most influential pillars in advancing the activities, programs, and events of all active departments of the Holy Shrine. Through conducting specialized evaluative studies prior to program implementation, the Center plays a pivotal role in ensuring the success, efficiency, and overall effectiveness of these initiatives.
The importance of deploying specialized personnel and adopting purposeful planning is particularly evident in the Alawi Holy Shrine’s participation in the fourth edition of the “Fountain of life” Festival, organized by the Qabas Cultural Foundation.
An Exhibition Pavilion to Present Strategic Cultural Programs
Regarding the nature of the Center’s mission at the festival, Mustafa Al-Haidar, Deputy Head of the al-Nathm Center, stated in an interview with the Shrine’s News Center:
“The participation of the al-Nathm Center in this festival is structured around two main axes. The first involves establishing an exhibition pavilion through which the strategic planning framework of the Alawi Holy Shrine is presented across three specialized display walls. The first wall details the engineering aspects of managing pilgrim crowds during major mass pilgrimages. The second wall highlights the Shrine’s contribution to specialized studies related to urban development and cultural heritage, emphasizing the necessity of preserving these assets in the holy city of Najaf—particularly its historic urban fabric. The third wall is dedicated to presenting statistics, training programs, and the overarching planning approaches adopted by the Center.”
Supporting the Participation of Other Shrine Departments
Al-Haidar further emphasized the effective role played by the experts and specialists of the al-Nathm Center in supporting, advising, and organizing the activities of all departments participating in the festival. He also pointed to ongoing coordination with the officials of the Qabas Cultural Foundation to enhance cooperation and address any challenges related to the Alawi Holy Shrine’s participation—particularly in the organization of training workshops and dialogue-based discussion sessions held as part of the festival’s diverse program.
Through active, broad, and well-targeted participation by its various departments, the Alawi Holy Shrine has played a substantial role in ensuring the overall success of the festival. This participation has enabled the Shrine to showcase its achievements, projects, and accumulated expertise across a wide range of fields, including construction and urban development, engineering, investment, strategic planning, intellectual and cultural affairs, media, scientific and medical services, technology, agriculture, cultural heritage preservation, and Quranic activities, thereby presenting a comprehensive and impactful institutional presence to the public.
