The meeting includes discussions on knowledge as an indicator of development in the Islamic world, as well as the 43rd session of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (ISESCO) Executive Council.

The four-day long meeting in the Moroccan capital of Rabat was attended by several education and culture officials from 54 Islamic countries.

The coins exhibition was inaugurated by ISESCO Director General Dr. Salem bin Muhammad Al-Malik, under the patronage of the Saudi Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education for International Cooperation Dr. Saleh bin Ibrahim Al-Qasoumi and Secretary-General of the National Committee for Education, Culture and Science Ahmed bin Abdulaziz Al-Bulahid.

The coins featured in the exhibition were sourced from the King Abdulaziz Public Library.

The director of the library, Dr. Bandar Al-Mubarak, said that the library provided its most important manuscripts and coins from different periods. They reveal aspects of the ancient history in many Islamic countries, showing their development from one period to the next, he added.

He explained that the Arabs used to deal using Byzantine, Sasanian and other currencies, before the Umayyad caliph Abd Al-Malik ibn Marwan (647-705 CE) initiated the Arabisation of Islamic Arab money in stages.

The exhibition presented models of Umayyad dinars and dirhams from different periods, starting from 697-743 CE. Abbasid money from the reign of Caliph Abu Jaafar al-Mansur in 755 CE through the reign of Caliph Jaafar al-Mutawakkil in 954 CE, was also displayed.

Also included in the collection are coins from Egypt, the Levant, Morocco and the east of the Islamic world. In addition, coin from the civilisations of the Arabian Peninsula that were based in Medina and Mecca, as well as other cities in what is now the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Ahmed bin Abdulaziz Al-Bulahid described the coin exhibition as an important and wonderful event.

The numerous visitors have expressed their amazement at the distinction and historical depths of the ancient coins, he added.

Many of the visitors believed that the exhibits were copies of the original coins but were amazed to find out they were the real deal, he said.

On the sidelines of the coins exhibition, the Saudi Coffee Corner showcased on the unique cultural role of this product in Saudi society, in all stages of its production, cultivation, preparation and presentation.

The display also explored the production of the famed Khawlani coffee from the country’s south. To top it off, the display offers guests the opportunity to try coffee with a different colour and taste according to the style in each of the country’s 13 regions.

Al-Bulahid said that the Kingdom is active in the work of regional and international organisations, which has made it an influential country internationally.

"The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia wanted, through its participation in the consultative meeting, to present civilisational and cultural messages to the international community, by talking about the Kingdom's past, present and future," he said, adding that the exhibition of coins will be transferred to UNESCO to present its contents to the world.