Umm Al-Qura University participates in the third session of the “Cultural Week” program of the Makkah Cultural Forum entitled "How can we be a role model?" The program was inaugurated today by His Royal Highness Prince Khalid Al-Faisal, the Adviser to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and Emir of Makkah Region, at the Hilton Hotel in Jeddah, under the theme, "How can we develop our cities to serve Hajj and Umrah?" It is due to last for two days.

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Institute for Hajj and Umrah Research has participated in three qualitative initiatives: the first was the expert initiative, which aimed at managing expertise, contributing to the knowledge production, and building a database of scientific and practical expertise specialized in Hajj, Umrah and visits to the holy sites; the second initiative was to periodically evaluate the applications of the guests of Al-Rahman Service on smart devices to improve and develop them in light of the rapid development of information and communication technology; the third initiative was the "Purify My House" initiative, which aimed to reduce and mitigate unwanted odors in the Holy Mosque using environmentally friendly materials.

Development of Community Responsibility

The initiatives of the university included the "Welcome to Pilgrims, Guests of Al-Rahman" initiative, which will be implemented by Al-Leith University College in Miqat Yalamlam. It aims to welcome and to bring joy and happiness to the Guests of Al-Rahman and to make them aware of how to use the available technological tools for the services needed during their visit, out of the college's belief in achieving national transformation in that respect, in addition to raising awareness about the importance of obtaining permission for Hajj and developing a sense of social responsibility in the youth of the governorate.

The "Welcome to Pilgrims, Guests of Al-Rahman" initiative targets more than 30,000 pilgrims, and will be held from 25 Sha'ban to 29 Ramadan 1440 A.H.

The university's pavilion also reviewed a number of initiatives implemented during the previous two sessions of the Makkah Cultural Forum, such as the University Role Model Contest, carried out by the Deanship of Student Affairs, and the initiative of establishing an educational center for innovation and entrepreneurship for the Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

His Excellency the President of Umm Al-Qura University, Prof. Abdullah bin Omar Bafail, praised the interaction of the university's various institutions and their participation in the cultural week program at the Makkah Cultural Forum. He stressed the importance of the forum as being in line with the comprehensive vision of Makkah Emirate, supervised by Prince Khalid Al-Faisal and his deputy, to support service efforts in the areas of Hajj and Umrah, promote volunteerism among young people in the service of the guests of Al-Rahman, and create implementable initiatives. He stressed that the university has an integrated expertise house in the system of Hajj and Umrah, represented in Custodian of Two Holy Mosques Institute for Hajj and Umrah Research.

During the launch ceremony of the cultural week program, Prince Khalid Al-Faisal honored the winners of the Entrepreneurship Initiative for Innovative Projects that employs technology in support of Hajj and Umrah services. His Highness also announced the launch of the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Award for Innovation in Hajj and Umrah Technology, which is worth SR 1 million.

It is worth mentioning that the Makkah Cultural Forum began three years ago with the participation of more than 100 governmental and non-governmental organizations, in accordance with the vision of cultural leadership and excellence in developing the abilities of people in a stimulating and creative environment. Its mission is to provide programs and initiatives that contribute to the development of people in the region. This is the theme adopted by the Prince of Makkah Region, which he has developed into a large project whose positive effects are reflected in the region and its people.

The forum focuses on the elements of the role model from which it stemmed in accordance with the vision of Prince Khalid Al-Faisal, represented by four pillars embodied by the imam in the mosque, the father in his home, the teacher in his school, and the official in his job.

The figures have confirmed the success of the forum since its inception, with the participation of 6,000 volunteers, and the organization of 16,850 activities. The number of letters of guidance provided by the forum has reached three million. In addition, the forum has not neglected the social networking platforms in the new media and has provided approximately 390,002 tweets, snaps and YouTube clips. The forum has also held 1,869 workshops, 26,733 news items and interviews, 744 initiatives in major cities and more than 1,000 initiatives in the region's governorates.