The secretariat of the Saudi Volunteering Award granted Dr. Haifa’ bint Othman Fida, Advisor to UQU Vice-President for Student Affairs and Associate Professor in the Department of Classical Arabic Rhetoric and Literary Criticism, the Gold Medal in the field of volunteering pioneers affiliated to the Association of Volunteer Work.

The award was given during a ceremony organized by the Association of Volunteer Work last Monday, under the patronage of His Highness the Prince of the Eastern Province, Saud bin Nayif bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud.

Dr. Fida, regarded as a pioneer figure of volunteering, has participated in several significant voluntary pioneering initiatives, made several contributions to community service, and is a member in a number of voluntary charitable organizations.

Umm Al-Qura University, stemming from its belief in the importance of the role of volunteering, has established a special unit for voluntary work, in line with the Kingdom’s Vision for 2030. The objectives it pursues through this unit include: To serve and develop the Makkan community based on a clear vision and strategy, to deepen knowledge of the voluntary work system, to introduce volunteering in different areas of society, and to utilize specialized scientific and professional skills to develop the mechanisms of voluntary participation and services. This would indeed help achieve the university's mission of serving and advancing the community.