The Vice President of Umm Al-Qura University for Development and Entrepreneurship, Dr. Hani bin Uthman Ghazi, displayed the procedural and executive regulation of the Intellectual Property Office at the University. These rules aim at organizing the process of registering patents, starting from the initial registration stage till the acquisition of intellectual rights, transforming the idea into a commercial product.

His Excellency mentioned this during the meeting that was organized yesterday by the Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, represented by the Intellectual Property Administration Office, in parallel with World Intellectual Property Day 2019,corresponding to 26 April according to the decision of the members of the World Intellectual Property Organization.

Dr. Hani Ghazi asserted that Umm Al-Qura University has an integral system that starts from the scientific research and continues till the final product. He indicated that the source of the creativity system is the students, academic staff and employees, and that innovations play a prominent role in supporting the knowledge-based economy, especially concerning the establishment of startups and small and medium-sized enterprises.

The event aims at explaining intellectual property, and its relation to creativity and entrepreneurship. This meeting was attended by the Vice President for Postgraduate Studies and Scientific Research, Dr. Thamir Al-Harbi, the Dean of the Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Dr. Muwaffaq Uraijah, and the Chief Executive Officer of Wadi Makkah for Technology, Dr. Faisal Allaf, at Wadi Makkah headquarters in Al-Abdiyyah.

The Vice President for Postgraduate Studies and Scientific Research, Dr. Thamir Al-Harbi, pointed out that creativity is considered to be one of the most important projects that may spring from scientific research. He also indicated that the Vice Presidency for Postgraduate Studies seeks, through coordination with the Vice Presidency for Development and Entrepreneurship, to spread the culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in the university community of students and academic staff in order to produce creative projects that contribute in serving the nation and the community, in a way that goes in line with the Saudi vision 2030.

Dr. Uraijah pointed out that the World Intellectual Property Day aims at increasing awareness about patents, publishing rights and brands, especially in conjunction with the transformations that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is witnessing of growth and development. It is regarded to be an introduction to promote the role of the youth, especially in creativity and entrepreneurship, in line with the Saudi vision 2030.

Uraijah said, "The Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship endeavors, through the Intellectual Property Administration Office, to lead the process of change, competitive ability, and economic growth." He asserted that the office received about 1150 patents in different fields; 250 of them were submitted at the American Office for Registering Patents, and 80 patents obtained intellectual property rights and documentary certificates.

The Vice Dean of the Institute, Dr. Najwa Samraqandi, explained the process of registering patents for the affiliates of the university in 2019. She declared that receiving registration applications will start from 8 April, 2019 and continue to 8 May, 2019, and that registration will be closed when the number of applications reach 100.

Dr. Faisal Allaf announced the fourth summer training program that will be carried out by Wadi Makkah Technology Company in partnership with the Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship in five streams; programming, engineering design, modeling, entrepreneurship, shooting, and directing. He indicated that the program will provide students in different specializations, skills and abilities with a chance to cooperate to prepare them to build their startups.