Umm Al-Qura University tops the list of 27 Saudi Universities participating in voluntary efforts to combat the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), with 6,319 male and female volunteers out of the 19,533 participants from the universities of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The volunteers are primarily assisting with awareness and education, under educational and community programs compatible with the areas of epidemic control, according to the statistics released recently by the Ministry of Education.

His Excellency the President of the University, Prof. Abdullah Bafail, stressed that the university and its employees are keen to instill a culture of volunteerism in the hearts of the male and female students, with programs organized by student units and their clubs, and meetings in cooperation with the relevant government bodies. Also included is a series of initiatives approved by the university and delivered through a unified mechanism to manage the contingency plan to reduce the outbreak of the Coronavirus. This is carried out through measures and precautions in line with the national plan to combat chemical and bacterial accidents, in compliance with the decisions of the government led by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and close follow-up from the Crown Prince, His Highness Prince Muhammad bin Salman, may Allah safeguard them, to protect citizens and residents on the soil of our homeland from the repercussions of the epidemic.

Since the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic in March, Umm Al-Qura University has developed plans to organize voluntary work. It launched the Open Volunteer initiative, with over 4,000 volunteers registered, and the e-volunteer program, with 400 participants registered. In addition, campaigns have been organized by the university branches, including distributing food baskets to support families in need during the period of home quarantine, deeming it a national duty, and part of the humanitarian work in the community.

The university has also held virtual forums to urge its employees to join volunteer programs and participate in developing initiatives, according to organizational frameworks that serve the specialized needs of crisis management, with specialist and consultant participants on board, contributing scientific research that counts as voluntary achievements attested to by the crisis arena.

The university's contributions have included a variety of educational, medical, psychological, and technical counseling courses, amounting to over 23 initiatives. These efforts have included cooperation with the health sector to launch awareness campaigns to prevent the transmission of the Coronavirus, within the framework of the cooperation of the state sectors to achieve the national and societal goals under the principle of "We are all responsible".