



Second Executive Committee Meeting of the Arab Union of Psychological Sciences (AUPsyS)
The Second Executive Committee Meeting of the Arab Union of Psychological Sciences (AUPsyS) took place on September 19, 2025, at the Hilton Habtoor City Hotel in Beirut, under the theme “Strengthening the Arab Union of Psychological Sciences – Building Regional Psychology Together.” It was co-organized by the International Union of Psychological Science (IUPsyS) and AUPsyS, with participation from representatives of 10 Arab countries—Jordan, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Sudan, Iraq, Palestine, Lebanon, Egypt, and Yemen—both in person and online.
Objectives and Opening Remarks
The meeting aimed to enhance regional cooperation among Arab psychological associations, strengthen AUPsyS’s institutional framework, and integrate the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into its programs.
Opening remarks were delivered by Dr. Brigitte Khoury (IUPsyS President-Elect), who emphasized global collaboration and the importance of regional partnerships. Dr. Adnan Farah (Immediate Past President of AUPsyS) reviewed the Union’s history, achievements, and future vision.
Review of Muscat Meeting and Leadership Restructuring
Participants revisited outcomes from the first Executive Committee meeting in Muscat (February 2025) and assessed progress on recommendations. Under Dr. Khoury’s facilitation, the Union’s structure was re-evaluated, resulting in a newly elected leadership team:
Executive Committee
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President: Prof. Dr. Ma’an Abdulbari Qasem (Yemen)
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Vice President: Prof. Dr. Ahmed Kassab Al-Shaya (Saudi Arabia)
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Immediate Past President: Prof. Dr. Adnan Muhammad Farah (Jordan)
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Secretary-General: Dr. Intisar Abu Najma Muhammad (Sudan)
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Treasurer: Prof. Dr. Haidar Kareem Jassim (Iraq)
Regular Members
Dr. Michel Naufal (Lebanon), Prof. Dr. Saeed Al-Dhafri (Oman), Prof. Dr. Kariman Manshar (Egypt), and Dr. Huda Yahya (Tunisia).
Advisers
Prof. Dr. Zuhair Zakaria (Jordan) and Dr. Yasmin Saleh (Egypt).
Regional Reports and SDG Integration
Country delegates presented reports on the status of psychology in their nations—covering education, professional practice, research, and institutional organization revealing shared regional challenges.
Two working groups explored ways to integrate the 17 SDGs into AUPsyS’s work, identifying those most aligned with Arab societal needs and psychology’s role in achieving them.
Commitment and Closing Session
The meeting emphasized collaboration among national associations, universities, and international organizations to foster shared growth in Arab psychology.
Participants expressed appreciation to Dr. Brigitte Khoury for her strong support and commitment to regional development. The event concluded with a shared pledge to implement the outcomes and strengthen AUPsyS’s role in promoting psychology regionally and internationally.
Key Recommendations and Action Plan
The executive committee adopted the following strategic steps:
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Develop a five-year strategic plan for AUPsyS.
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Review and update bylaws to address emerging needs.
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Create a regional database of experts, institutions, and research.
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Enhance women’s and youth participation in committees.
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Form specialized committees to integrate selected SDGs into psychology programs.
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Upgrade the digital platform for information sharing and documentation.
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Propose an Arab Board of Psychology to standardize professional qualifications.


Welcome Message
It is a special honor and a privilege to welcome you to this website. We are proud to announce the launch of The Arab Union of Psychological Science AUPsyS which came as came as a consequence of many challenges that were recently experienced by many countries in the Arab region. The political, social and economic challenges and conflicts the region has witnessed have created the need to establish an organization that can provide a professional umbrella for better cooperation among the Arab psychology organizations, unify efforts and strengthen ties among all scientists and practitioners working in psychology across the Arab region.
Our Mission
AUPsyS mission is to provide a forum for professional Arab psychological associations and for the Arab psychologists. It is committed to develop the psychology profession and all its branches, and contributes to development of the practice of psychology profession in the member States taking into consideration the Arab culture and according to the latest scientific developments and international standards.
First Executive Committee Meeting of the Arab Union of Psychological Sciences (AUPsyS)
The first Executive Committee meeting of the Arab Union of Psychological Sciences (AUPsyS) was held in Muscat, Oman, on February 3–4, 2025, marking the Union’s revival after more than a decade of inactivity. Organized under the supervision of the International Union of Psychological Science (IUPsyS) which was presented by the president of the IUPsy Prof. Germán Gutiérrez, the President-Elect Dr. Brigitte Khoury, the Secretary-General Dr. Eva Thompson, the Treasurer Dr. Marizida Sanchez Cesario and Administrative Secretary Mr. Carl Swain.
The meeting brought together representatives from Jordan, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Oman, Lebanon, Egypt, and Yemen, along with IUPsyS officials.
Held under the theme “Strengthening the Institutional Structure of the Arab Union,” the two-day sessions addressed challenges facing Arab psychological associations, including limited institutional and financial support. Discussions resulted in the adoption of the “Muscat Declaration,” a strategic document outlining a five-year roadmap for strengthening professional cooperation, sustainability, and regional coordination.
A new leadership team was elected, with Prof. Dr. Ahmed Kassab Al-Shaya (Saudi Arabia) as President, Mr. Hassan Khalid Al-Masih (UAE) as President-Elect, Dr. Intisar Abu Najma (Sudan) as Secretary-General, and Dr. Adnan Farah (Jordan) as Immediate Past President. Members from Lebanon, Yemen, and Oman joined the Accreditation Council. Due to procedural issues, the Treasurer’s position was deferred, and a temporary sub-account within IUPsyS was approved for financial management.
The committee agreed to hold the next meeting in Beirut in September 2025 during the Lebanese Psychological Association Conference, while maintaining coordination through regular online meetings.
A field visit to the Mental Health and Wellness Clinic in Muscat concluded the event, emphasizing community engagement and collaboration.
The Muscat meeting represented a historic step in revitalizing AUPsyS, establishing new leadership, and setting a clear strategic direction for advancing psychological science across the Arab world.


A Position Statement on Behalf of
the Arab Union of Psychological Science AUPsyS
Regarding the Ongoing War and Genocides in Gaza (October 2023)
The Arab Union of Psychological Science AUPsyS expresses its solidarity with the Palestinian people in Gaza and condemns the Israeli occupation forces' brutal aggression and barbaric attacks, which resulted in the killing of more than a six thousand (6000) innocent civilians most of whom were children and women, as well as widespread destruction of residential buildings, schools, hospitals, and other infrastructure.
The brutal aggression carried out by the Israeli occupation forces in the Gaza Strip, using warplanes, advanced weapons, and phosphoric bombs, that are prohibited internationally against civilians, and targeting residential areas, hospitals, schools, and mosques, are all considered a war crime against humanity and clear violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention to protect civilians in times of war.
The AUPsyS Condemns the bias of Western media and the policy makers adapting only the Israeli narrative reacting in complete silence toward the death of thousands of Palestinian children and women. It is very disappointing to see the double standard in the Western world watching the Gaza war forcing about 2.2 million people to face ethnic cleansing and trying to force them to migrate to the Sina desert, knowing the fact that two-thirds of those people are already refugees whom the Israelis forced to leave their homes 75 years ago after their homelands were taken and forced to live in Gaza, which is known as a concentrated camp and the biggest open prison in the world.
The ongoing genocide being deliberately and savagely perpetrated by Israel against the Palestinian civilian population under its illegal occupation must be stopped. Therefore, AUPsyS urgently calls on the international community to practice its duty and act immediately under international law to stop this Massacre and brutal killing of civilians in Gaza, and to stand against the torturing of the Palestinians and the illegal occupation of their homelands since 1947.
The AUPsyS condemns the violations of human rights by the Israeli forces and asserts that there can be no justification for collective punishment and for denying people access to necessities like energy, food, water, and medicine. Therefore, we call on the international community to take the right moral stance and to immediately act by calling the world leaders and policymakers to provide and ensure the necessary protection for innocent civilians and to hold Israeli officials accountable for their crimes.
The AUPsyS appeals to world leaders to call for the upholding of the International Humanitarian Law (IHL), which stands globally to protect the civilian population from any effects of hostilities and indiscriminate violence.
We further appeal to world leaders to stop the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian lands as the root cause of the main problem and start implementing international law and the resolutions of the United Nations and the Security Council that guarantee the Palestinians their rights and the restoration of their occupied lands.
The AUPsyS calls on the World Health Organization and all mental health workers, including psychiatrists, nurses, counselors, and psychotherapists, to organize various intervention programs and to take the initiative to provide psychological first aid to the injured and those exposed to the effects of disasters and violence in various forms.
The Arab Union of Psychological Science (AUPsyS) was accepted as an affiliate member of the International Union of Psychological Science (IUPsyS), during the General Assembly meeting in Yokohama, Japan in 2016.
News from National Members
Contact Us
For more information about the Arab Union of Psychological Science, please contact the General Secretary’s office at:
Jordan- Amman
P.O Box:
Phone:
Fax:
Email: Info@aupsys.net

