His Excellency the UQU President, Prof. Abdullah bin Omar Bafail, assumed the chairmanship of the Fifth Council of the University for the academic year 1439/1440 A.H.on behalf of His Excellency the Minister of Education, the Chairman of the UQU University Council, Dr. Hamad bin Muhammad bin Hamad Al Al-Sheikh. This 5th council session was held on Monday, 22 Ramadan 1440 A.H. at King Faisal Hall at the University City in Al-Abdiyyah.

At the end of the session, the Secretary General of the University Council and Vice President for Postgraduate Studies and Scientific Research, Dr. Thamir bin Hamdan Al-Harbi, stated that the esteemed council discussed a number of topics listed on the agenda of the 5th Council Session for 1439-1440 AH, in addition to several academic and administrative issues related to specific scientific and educational aspects. Dr. Thamir ensured that the council took appropriate decisions concerning them.

The topics included on the agenda of the session were the following:

• Request for accession of a number of academics to membership of the councils of some colleges at the university for a two-year term.
• Request for approval to establish the Saudi Scientific Society for Science and Technology Serving Hajj and Umrah, according to the articles of its executive regulations provided by the Institute of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques for Hajj and Umrah Research.
• Request for approval to establish the Saudi Scientific Society of Toxicology, according to the articles of its executive regulations provided by the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the College of Medicine.
• Request for approval of the (amended) operational and procedural rules of the regulatory law governing the affairs of the Saudi academic members, and those assimilated to them.
• Request for approval of the (amended) regulations of the Joint First Year program.
• Request for approval of the proposed final draft of the regulations governing paid postgraduate studies at Umm Al-Qura University.
• Request for approval of the (amended) rules and procedures pertaining to the unified regulations for postgraduate studies at Saudi universities.
• Request for approval of updated and newly introduced postgraduate study programs, with a total of 159 programs: High Diploma - Master - PhD.
• Request for approval of the diploma program for the management of Hajj and Umrah, submitted by the College of Business Administration.
• Request for approval of the modified study plan for the Bachelor of Social Work Program.
• Request for approval of the proposed study plan for the bachelor's program in the Department of Information Technology at the College of Computer Science at the university branch in Al-Leith governorate.