Dr. Bakri M. Assas, President of Umm al-Qura University (UQU), has commended the strides taken by the Institute of Creativity and Entrepreneurship in an effort to assume its role and responsibility, and to vigorously contribute to realization of the Saudi Vision 2030. Dr. Assas made this statement on Thursday, Ramadan 20, after taking a look at the action plan put forth by the Institute for the upcoming four years, during a meeting at his office in al-Abdiyah Campus with Dr. Hani O. Ghazi, UQU Vice President for Academic Development and Community Service and Acting Vice President for Creativity and Entrepreneurship, Dr. Wadee' Barqawi, dean of the Institute, Dr. Faisal A. Allaf, CEO of Makkah TechnoValley, and Dr. Muwafaq Ereijah, supervisor of the UQU Intellectual Property Bureau.

The UQU President reiterated the importance of such programs, activities and plans that would support entrepreneurs (whether students, faculty members, researchers or innovators) to partake in realizing the Saudi Vision 2030. This should be the main focus of the Institute, he said, given that creative work and entrepreneurship constitute the hard core of its message. Meanwhile, he called on affiliates of the Institute to stick to teamwork, and to make every effort for the sake of our nation and citizens. That is to be achieved, he stressed, by thinking of better programs that would help realize the desired objectives.

For his part, Dr. Hani O. Ghazi, UQU Vice President for Academic Development and Community Service and Acting Vice President for Creativity and Entrepreneurship, expressed his gratefulness to the UQU President for his unceasing support for the Institute's programs and activities. He valued Dr. Assas's keen interest in following up the Institute's programs, including the summer training recently launched in Makkah TechnoVally.

It is noteworthy that Dr. Wadee' Barqawi, dean of the Institute of Creativity and Entrepreneurship, presented an exhaustive account of the four-year action plan of the Institute (2017-2020). He mentioned the Institute's vision and mission, with a view to functioning as the University's entrepreneurship nucleus, and vigorously contributing to the establishment of start-up businesses. It followed that he touched on the Institute's three initiatives: Entrepreneur, My Factory, and My Company. They were approved by the Ministry of Education, and were launched as part of the National Transformation Initiatives 2020. He made clear that work is now underway on the three initiatives, so that the Institute could actively contribute to building an integrated environment paving the way for the University to play its role in the National Transformation Program.

The CEO of Makkah TechnoValley, Dr. Faisal Allaf, for his part, emphasized the importance of integration between the Institute and Makkah TechnoValley. The Institute, he clarified, serves as the link between the Makkah TechnoValley on the one hand, and UQU and its various colleges on the other hand. For the Valley, the Institute is of substantial significance, he added, as it guides the Valley's tendencies to entrepreneurship, as well as marketing investors' products to maintain sustainability of entrepreneurship.