On Monday, 29 Muharram 1443 A.H., corresponding to 6 August 2021 A.C., the first meeting was held to discuss procedures for holding the workshops of the Numou (Growth) Program for Training Health Volunteers. The Numou program will be presented by the Health Volunteer Center of the Ministry of Health under the auspices of Umm Al-Qura University, represented by the College of Dentistry, the Administration of Voluntary Work and Social Responsibility at the Deanship for Development and Community Service, and the Institute of Consulting Research and Studies.

The meeting was held at the headquarters of the Institute of Consulting Research and Studies at Umm Al-Qura University, with the Coordinator of Individual Programs at the Health Volunteer Center, Mr. Harun Abdullah Khamis, and the Assistant Director of Administration, Ms. Ghadah Al-Rayyis, attending via a video conference. The meeting was also attended by the Vice Dean of Academic Development and Quality, representing the College of Dentistry, and college coordinator of the Numou Program at the university, Ms. Abeer Al-Qurashi, the General Supervisor of the Administration of Voluntary Work and Social Responsibility, Dr. Sumayyah Sharaf, the Director of Administration, Mr. Sultan Al-Hudhali, and the Dean of the Institute of Consulting Research and Studies, Dr. Muhammad Al-Sharif.

Mr. Haroun Khamis explained that this program aims to support the volunteering system by harnessing the capacities of volunteers in the health field and acquainting them with the needed knowledge on the culture of volunteering by holding training workshops for the participants. These lauded efforts are conducive to enhancing and harnessing the skill of volunteering in the healthcare by building the capacities of volunteers, equipping them with necessary knowledge and skills to manage health volunteering, and promoting community participation to achieve the goal of the Saudi Vision 2030 to rally one million volunteers every year.

On her part, Dr. Sumayyah Sharaf thanked the University President, Prof. Moaddi bin Muhammad Aal Madh-hab, for his unlimited support in promoting the culture of voluntary work at Umm Al-Qura University. She also expressed her appreciation and gratitude to the family of the College of Dentistry for hastening to submit a proposal to implement the program, in cooperation and coordination with the Voluntary Work Department, to train 1,000 volunteers in the healthcare, under the auspices of the university.

During the meeting, Dr. Muhammad Al-Sharif expressed pride at such cooperation and integration between the university’s colleges and departments to achieve the objectives of the Saudi Vision 2030 and the objectives and aspirations of Umm Al-Qura University, which laid significant emphasis on voluntary work and social responsibility.

On his part, the Vice Dean of the College of Dentistry for Development and Quality at the College of Dentistry expressed his heartfelt thanks to the President of the University, the Dean of the College of Dentistry, the Administration of Voluntary Work and Social Responsibility, and the Institute of Consulting Research and Studies for their lauded support and efforts to ensure that the program is held in an apt manner, commensurate with the refined heritage of Umm Al-Qura University and on larger scale than first planned. The initial plan was to implement the program exclusively for the college’s affiliates, but thanks to the orchestrated and joint efforts and cooperation of all parties, it became possible to maximize the benefit of this program under the umbrella of the university. Finally, he asked Allah (Glorified and Exalted be Him) that this training program would yield the desired benefits.

Coordination will be carried out between the concerned authorities to announce on the website of Umm Al-Qura University and the College of Dentistry, at a later time, information on the training package, the objectives of the program, the method of registration and attendance, and the schedule of the program's workshops.