The Umm Al-Qura University President, Dr. Bakri ibn Maatouq Assas unveiled the University’s new, useful accomplishments, the fruit of its leading experiment in the knowledge economy field, and its participation in the national, inclusive development.

During a lecture at the Makkah Cultural Literary Club, Dr. Assas said “all the capabilities have been harnessed for the University to fulfill the national objectives, given the Wadi Makkah for Technology’s achievement. He went on to put down all these successes to the scientific and intellectual capacities the University is filled with that will help it reach the objectives it has drawn up and planned for in the last few years.”

Still, the meeting started with a welcome speech given by the Chairman of the board of directors of the Makkah Cultural Literary Club, Dr. Hamid Ibn Saleh Alrabia’ai. During which he spoke about the status of the lecturer and the importance of the lecture and the type of the attendance. He pointed out that the “Knowledge Economy” is a recently-introduced term, and its dimensions  have not been fully grasped by many. The University took the lead to that effect until its fruitions have become among its prominent outputs. Similarly, Dr. A’asas’s lecture is particularly valuable in the sense that it provides a window to the nature of that achievement and its aims. This is highlighted by an experiment the University spearheaded; at a time when establishing the culture of setting a role model is highly valued at all levels, as well as  the cultural and literary mobility. 

Afterwards, Dr. Bakri delivered the lecture explaining the “Knowledge Economy” term which will take the lead in the new century. After the spices century has gone and the oil century is close to end; to be succeeded by the knowledge economy century. To that effect, the counties possessing knowledge and innovations will control   all the world’s decision and its destiny.

Seeing that the universities are the main incubator of the knowledge economy, this pushed the University to go in for that field. Given that the time when the researches were used for promoting to a scientific status has discontinued, the innovative researches took over which resulted in invention patents used for the practical products. Also, the scope of the University’s tasks in terms of teaching and scientific research has broadened to include serving the society by turning the knowledge and technology into practical products harnessed for serving the society individuals, and creating an environment for the knowledge economy.     

Having Dr. Bakri spoken about the Malaysian and Japanese experiment, he remarked about what the University set its sights to achieve before few years, adding that what others saw as a dream has become tangible reality after the University has established the  “Wadi Makkah for Technology”. The University has drawn on others’ success stories by starting from where they have finished. Having established the “Wadi Makkah for Technology”, we moved from mere technology users to ones producing it.

All the more, Dr. Bakri pointed out that what the scientific and intellectual mobility the University sees is attributed to Allah, the Almighty, then to the Saudi prudent government encouraging to that regard. It is similarly put down to distinctive, dedicated cadres managing the University, and its academic staff members, throughout its long path, starting with Dr. Rashid Alragih, laying down the foundations of this time-honored University through Dr. Suhai Qadi, Dr. Nasser Alsaleh, Dr. Adnan Wazan and Dr. Waleed Abu Farg; and the University vice presidents and its professors. All these cadres have not spared an effort to make the University’s outputs big, productive and effective in all sciences and literature.  

By the same token, Dr. Bakri reviewed the accomplishments of the Wadi Makkah for Technology and start-ups. Such accomplishments included fields, such as mass gatherings management and upgrading, transportation, smart buildings and cities, information technology, medicine and health environment among others. Thus, “Made in Makkah” slogan has become reality not a dream, and there were patents registered by inventors. Among the start-ups are Smart Cities, Digital Data Analysis, Smart Haj, Medical Technologies, Medical Laboratories, Smart Vehicles, Gathering Management Technologies and Smart Control.  There are also companies borne Makkah-related character such as Haj and Umrah and Place and Status which have grown in demand domestically and internationally.  Among the clients of the Wadi Makkah for Technology are the General Presidency of Grand Mosque and Prophet's Mosque, Holy Makkah Municipality, Ministry of Haj, King Abdullah Technology City, General Authority of Civil Aviation, Ministry of Health, Jeddah Chamber and tourism among others of the governmental and private companies.

Thanks to its distinction, investors were drawn to the Wadi Makkah for Technology companies from within and outside the Kingdom. This resulted in tenders pleasing hearts, such as more than a thousand patent registration applications, patents that have been registered, patents that have been approved and patents that have been turned into products. Likewise, the number of those benefiting from the Wadi Makkah for Technology’s products reached 300 ones in terms of governmental and private entities.

Within the same vein, Dr. Bakri, within the crease of his speech, noted that Makkah emir lauded these remarkable accomplishments, and called for publicizing them.

At the end of the lecture, comments and interventions involved praise for the lecturer and the content of his lecture in terms of the good news about the University’s accomplishments in the field of knowledge economy. The director of the meeting, Dr Abdullah ibn Ibrahim Alzahrani, described the lecture as an interesting show that assured us. Dr. Nasser Alsa’aidi opined that the lecture is perfect and consistent, and rendered in an elevated language including   evidence and facts for remarkable quantum leaps. Dr. Abdullah Ridah Alharisi remarked that the University’s products are not marketed through mass media. And Dr. Alo ibn Yousief agreed to that, adding that we take pride upon such accomplishments, and should be publicized.     

Similarly, Dr. Insaf Bukhari, dialogue manager in the female corner, shared her praises and aspirations, in addition to the commentators Dr. Hala Ala’amudi, Dr. Mayson Albanyan and Dr. Amal Alqasami.

Dr. Nabil Kushuk, the University’s knowledge economy pioneer, gave a speech revealing that the University President led the work team. He also praised them for their cooperation and distinction, and he promised to publicize throughout media more about the University’s accomplishments in that field.