"The Voluntary Work in the Service of the Guests of Al-Rahman" Forum stresses that integration and specialization are the key to the success of volunteer work.

The Forum, organized by the College of Medicine at Umm Al-Qura University, was launched today, Monday. In its first session, the members of the Hajj Volunteer Work Coordinating Group agreed on the importance of integration and coordination between all parties and sectors involved in the fields of Hajj in order to provide quality services to the guests of the Merciful. In addition, they agreed on the role of such integration and coordination in highlighting the role of Saudi Arabia and its contributions in supporting the areas of volunteer work, aiming to attain the goals of the Saudi Vision 2030 reform plan to raise the number of volunteers in the kingdom to 1 million by 2030.

Under the patronage of His Royal Highness the Advisor of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the Governor of the Makkah Region, His Royal Highness Prince Saud bin Khalid Al-Faisal, the forum was launched in the presence of the Deputy Emirate of Makkah Province, Dr. Hisham bin Abdul-Rahman Al-Falih, and the participation of government, civil society and non-profit sectors. The event was held in King Abdul Aziz Historical Hall.

The participants concluded that the nature of women contributed to their qualification for volunteer work and participation in the programs launched by the UQU during the Hajj seasons, pointing out that the number of female volunteers participating in the last Hajj season exceeded the number of male participants. Moreover, they underlined the role of scientific research in preparing and qualifying volunteers to interact with different nationalities of cultural backgrounds who come to perform Hajj and Umrah. They also highlighted the importance of documentation and specialization for volunteer work in various fields, and setting fundamental basics and principles to ensure its sustainability and development in the coming years.

The General Director of Civil Defense in the Makkah Region, Major General Ali Al-Muntashiri, commended the directorate's contributions and voluntary initiatives in the fields of Hajj since 1407 A.H., underlining that the forum is one of the outcomes of the coordination meetings between the team members.

On his part, His Excellency the University President, Dr. Abdullah bin Omar Bafail, stressed the contributions of the university sectors in instilling the values ​​of volunteering work among its students, urging them to participate in the fields of Hajj to avail themselves of the religious honor and fulfill their national duty in serving the guests of the Merciful. He stated that such values have become an integral part of the curriculum in some colleges.

Moreover, His Excellency lauded the outstanding efforts exerted by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Institute for Hajj and Umrah Research in enhancing its partnerships and initiatives with the relevant authorities each year to develop the Hajj system in line with national trends, and to fulfill its mission and social responsibility.