In 1981 Umm al-Qura University established the English Language Center (ELC) to:

-  address the ever growing need of its teaching assistants who were headed abroad for their graduate studies for intensive English courses to prepare them to take exams such as TOEFL and IELTS. 

-  provide orientation sessions for such candidates. 

-  offer courses in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) needed by the students of scientific colleges where the teaching medium is in English. 

-  cater to the English language needs of other students and the community at large through special courses offered in English for general purposes as well as in ESP in areas such as Hajj and Umrah, security, military, etc.