HRH Prince Khaled Al-Faisal bin Abdulaziz, the Governor of Mecca Province and Consultant of His Majesty the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, congratulated His Majesty the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, may God protect him, and his wise government for the achievements made by the Saudi Universities in general, and Umm Al-Qura University in specific.

This was in the speech HRH Prince Khaled Al-Faisal made during the inauguration of the Startups Center, built by Makkah Techno Valley Co., in the university city of Umm Al-Qura University in Al-Abidiah.

The event was attended by the University President and the Chairman of Makkah Techno Valley Co, Dr. Bakry bin Maatouq Assas; the Minister of Hajj, Dr. Bandar bin Mohammed Al Hajjar; the Mayor of Mecca, Dr. Osama bin Fadl Al-Bar; the University Vice-President for Business and Innovation and Vice-President of Makkah Techno Valley Co, Dr. Nabeel bin Abdelqader Koshak; University vice-presidents; the CEO of Makkah Techno Valley, Dr. Osama bin Rashed Al-Omari; deans of different faculties and industrial and economic figures in the Kingdom.

The achievements made by the research centers of Umm Al-Qura University now echo in many universities, HRH confirmed, adding that: “What the University has achieved through the Startup Center is a source of pride and pleasure for everyone and made many of our dreams come true by the hands of our own sons.”

Celebrating this event, said HRH Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, is a celebration of what our beloved country and its citizens have achieved. This technology-based project made an outstanding achievement not only with its inventions, but also the efforts exerted in finding the companies capable of turning them into an economic reality.

HRH confirmed that he is extremely happy to see this achievement moving from inside the campus to the society behind its walls to benefit the whole society, and that’s exactly what he has been calling for. Universities have realized this wish through transferring knowledge out of their campuses to the society.

He also expressed his deep pleasure to see the ‘Made in Mecca’ label move from handmade products, that some assumed to be the only Mecca products, to modern technologies. These scientific and technological achievements are to be used in serving the pilgrims visiting the holy lands since their arrival until their departure to help them perform the rituals in the easiest possible way, he noted.

HRH called for achieving success in Hajj on the organizational, technological, administrative, economic and security levels, and above all to make it a national achievement for all Saudi citizens.

HRH Prince Faisal concluded his speech by thanking the University professors and students for this great achievement. “In the past, I called for progress to cope with countries of the First World, today, I’m proud to see the youth and intellects of our country and our national universities take the first steps towards joining countries of the First World. Now, I say it confidently, my fellow citizens raise your heads in pride for you are Saudis.”

Earlier, on his arrival, the Saudi national anthem was played and then HRH Prince Khaled Al-Faisal cut the ribbon announcing the inauguration of the Startup Center building. The Prince then took a tour with his companions in the headquarters of the eight startup companies there, where he listened to a detailed explanation by Dr. Nabeel Koshak, the Vice-President of Makkah Techno Valley, of the innovative and knowledge-based products of these companies and the purposes of these products, the role of each of these companies and their contribution to the knowledge-based economy.

The event then started with reciting verses of the Holy Quran, then Dr. Nabeel Koshak, the University Vice-President for Business and Innovation and the Vice-President of Makkah Techno Valley, made a speech in which he confirmed that the inauguration of the Startups Center is the result of existing knowledge-based companies and high technology products that were created, developed and manufactured in Umm Al-Qura University by Saudi hands, with the slogan of “Made in Mecca”.

Such achievements, he confirmed, could have never been made without God’s grace and the unstinting support that Umm Al-Qura University receives from the wise leadership of country with its ambitious vision that aims at making the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia among the most advanced nations in intellectual investments and utilizing knowledge in serving humanity. This also could have never been achieved, he confirmed, without the keen attention of Umm Al-Qura University represented by Makkah Techno Valley to convert research and studies into actual products that benefit the individuals and institutions of the society.

Dr. Koshak also talked about the gaps that face the knowledge-base economy, noting that Umm Al-Qura University managed to bridge these gaps in Makkah Techno Valley Co. through three main bridges: first; establishing the technological innovation center based on scientific research in specific specializations that have promising markets for knowledge-based products to provide the services of turning innovation to knowledge-based products through modeling, engineering design and manufacturing.

The second bridge has to do with creating partnerships and a cooperation network with successful entrepreneurs of Saudi youth and investors to help in promoting startups and developing products suitable for promising markets through providing commercial development services and market studies, as well as creating cooperation with public and private sectors for finding out their needs for knowledge-based products built with the targeted technologies.

While the third bridge has to do with providing services programs of training, guidance and logistic support to move from the knowledge phase to the experimental phase and then the phase of establishing their knowledge-based startups.

This will be supported by establishing the Startups Center in Mecca and making it a training platform for researches and creative people to develop their technological skills and the skills they need to sell their products and overcome the gaps in the knowledge-based economy.

This will be achieved through adapting the knowledge-based products to the market and gaining the required skills for marketing and selling them. At the same time, the Startups Center is also meant to be a platform for establishing partnerships with the public, industrial and private sectors in which entrepreneurs will be the connection.

Dr. Koshak also discussed the achievements made by Umm Al-Qura University during the last five years, from 2011 to 2016, that reached over 1000 patents, of which 160 registered patents, in addition to 30 issued patents. The innovations that were turned to products reached 15 innovations, technological products reached 20 products and the number of innovation-based startups reached 8 companies, and clients of these products reached 15 clients of public and private sectors entities.

In his speech in this occasion, Umm Al-Qura University President and President of Makkah Techno Valley, Dr. Bakry bin Maatouq Assas, welcomed HRH Prince Khaled Al-Faisal bin Abdulaziz, Governor of Mecca Province and Consultant of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, and the audience.

Six months ago, he said, the University celebrated the launch of eight startup companies that were planned and established from scratch inside the University and by the hand of its students, staff and employees; these companies grew from ideas to existing entities in this University and were nurtured and developed by innovative professionals with experience, and supported by our well-established University that believes in the gradual development from instruction to formation, and from formation to empowerment.

Today, he continued, we celebrate the launch of the Startups Center building that will accommodate many innovative entrepreneurs and will represent an advanced vision in the University support system for those entrepreneurs.

This launch, he noted, is in fact a launch of a whole entity not just a building and a celebration of a fully integrated organization, symbolized by this building. This building won’t provide only a place for startups, but also will provide potentials and empowerment opportunities as it’s backed with logistic support, systematic advisory services and scientific experiments to assist those willing to derive benefits from them.

Umm Al-Qura University journey in supporting entrepreneurs, he said, is a rich journey that started with business accelerators that contributed to developing ideas, then the intellectual property office that helped in registering patents, followed by the required support for establishing companies and building their legal frameworks and then helping them get out to the market and achieve quick commercial marketing and sign contracts with beneficial.

Today, the University also offers them the place and the operational support they need to continue and develop their work. The presence of HRH Prince Khaled Al-Faisal in this celebration is in itself an exceptional support and guidance for this journey, he confirmed.

Our bet was on our young entrepreneurs, and we won it, he continued, it proved that it wasn’t merely ‘empty propaganda’ nor ‘just a matter of form’, rather an aware creation of productive environment that helps our sons and daughters to get out the best in themselves and reveal their skills and talents.

Ceremonies like this one, Dr. Assas asserted, are a practical reply to the disappointment that overwhelms some of the academicians, those who see that education moves in a downward direction and that there is no hope in future generations! Instead of attempting to fight the weaknesses and find out the strengths in this promising generation, they turned away and devoted themselves to criticism and spreading negativity and disappointment, he said.

It goes without saying, however, that there are problems and weaknesses and there are also some bad examples, these are facts and ignoring them will lead us nowhere, but we should be confident, he added, that this holy blessed country can never be barren, its sons are always full of potentials.

This young generation is full of surprises; the youth are persistent and rich with the willingness to do their best for their country, they just need someone to open the closed doors and pave the way for their creativity and innovation, then they will show us the best they have and will make us very proud of them. Today is only a piece of evidence for what this promising generation is capable of.

Our country, said Dr. Assas, has persistently attempted through the National Transformation Program to promote chances of the knowledge-based economy and reduce reliance on oil and find alternatives that can accommodate youth. This is evident in the unstinting efforts of HRH Prince Khaled Al-Faisal in this regard and launching the knowledge pioneering seminar, and launching the Knowledge Pioneers Award as part of the Okaz Prize, and the close attention he paid to establishing the knowledge-based society and building the knowledge-based economy. In fact, the tremendous efforts exerted by the University are only a gear in a huge machine operated by different institutions of our country.

At the end of his speech, Dr. Assas expressed his deep gratitude to His Majesty the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, the Crown Prince, the Deputy Crown Prince and the Governor of Mecca Province and Consultant of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, HRH Prince Khaled Al-Faisal. He also thanked the Minister of Higher Education, Dr. Ahmed Eissa and highly praised the efforts of Umm Al-Qura University Deanship for Business and Innovation, Entrepreneurship Institute, Makkah Techno Valley, different sectors of the University and the creative Saudi youth.

In his speech, Dr. Hesham Al-Faleh, the Secretary General of the Mecca Development Authority and Consultant of Mecca Governor, confirmed that this celebration is the direct result of the strategic developmental vision of Mecca that made ‘man’ its main focus. Umm Al-Qura University gave a clear message that strategies without real work will never turn into a reality, he added.

He also thanked HRH Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, the Governor of Mecca Province and the Consultant of His Majesty the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, and Umm Al-Qura University and its officials for the services they made to the holy land.

Al-Faleh addressed the Saudi youth, especially owners of startups saying: “Your country needs you and will be pleased to achieve progress and development with your hands. HRH Prince Khaled Al-Faisal recently instructed the Mecca Development Authority board to use the services of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Institute for Hajj and Umrah Research (CTHMIHR) and all competent developmental authorities in Mecca. The Authority is pleased to sign a cooperation agreement with CTHMIHR that will boost the developmental efforts of the Authority. We look forward to being more productive and creative through partnerships and agreements with different sectors.”

He concluded his speech with expressing his gratitude to HRH Prince Khaled Al-Faisal for his ongoing support for the development sector in Mecca Province, to the University President, Dr. Bakry bin Maatouq Assas, for his cooperation and dedicated work, and to the Vice-President Dr. Nabeel bin Abdelqader Koshak.