Umm Al-Qura University, represented by the Deanship of Information Technology, is preparing to participate in the "Women in Data Science" (WiDS) online forum on Friday, 20 Shawwal, 1441 A.H., via the Ataa Digital platform in the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology. The forum will be held in cooperation with Stanford University, USA, to discuss the role of data science in supporting Hajj and Umrah and improving its services The event will witness the participation of speakers from the university who specialize in digital data science and its fields.

The Vice Dean of the Deanship of Information Technology, the UQU representative at the Makkah forum, Dr. Dunia Badawud, explained that the geographical location of Umm Al-Qura University has made it a forerunner in serving the visitors for Hajj and Umrah, harnessing various sciences, knowledge, and scientific research, and supporting strategic goals to maximize the experience of Hajj and Umrah. This is in order to achieve high-quality indicators in the application of data systems, the use of artificial intelligence, and in dealing with health issues and epidemics, in harmony with national aspirations and visions.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s participation in the forum this year is represented in a series of various events held in Riyadh, Jeddah, Makkah, Madinah, the Eastern Province, and Al-Ta'if. The events consist of 8 sessions, including two seminars, 7 workshops, 46 scientific lectures, 210 advisory sessions, and an exhibition. Moreover, the events include the contributions of sixty speakers specializing in data science in health and business administration, energy, community, and interesting experiments, in addition to data science and multidisciplinary applications for societal interests and data science for Hajj and Umrah.

It is noteworthy that the "Women in Data Science" forum is one of the activities organized concurrently with the annual conference held by Stanford University in the United States of America to celebrate the achievements of women working in data science and to empower their role in serving these fields. The conference has a series of programs in more than 150 cities around the world, within the framework of presenting the visions of scientists and other stakeholders and educating them through events rich in scientific meetings to discuss the supporting methods and benefits of the applications in this science, and of using the given data to take the necessary decisions.