The UQU President, Prof. Moaddi bin Muhammad Aal Madh-hab, inaugurated the digital library for people with special needs as well as the second stage of the Umm Al-Qura University Electronic Maqraah, launched by the Deanship of E-Learning and Distance Education during the university’s celebration of its third year for the E-Learning Award. The ceremony was organized today by the college at King Abdulaziz Hall in Al-Abdiyyah campus.

The President of the University considered this celebration a culmination of the university's achievements and a realization of one of the e-learning quality standards, thanks to the positive contributions of the E-Learning Award in motivating university students and its employees. These steps also aim to help students polish their talents, showcase their skills, and transform their creativity into elaborate accomplishments, according to a clear methodology consistent with national orientations.

Prof. Aal Madh-hab urged university leaders and employees to invest time and harness efforts to improve the work of the educational system and its programs for the best interest of the students. In addition, Prof. Aal Madh-hab encouraged them to continue supporting technology professionals to make a paradigm shift within the university work system, achieve more reliance on electronic programs and systems that enable the university to perform its scientific and educational mission and tasks, and focus on their outputs in fulfillment of the aspirations of the wise leadership, may Allah support it.

On his part, the Dean of E-Learning and Distance Education, Dr. Khalid Al-Mutairi, stressed the deanship's keenness to develop the university's e-learning system and initiate work at an early stage to establish a strong infrastructure that relies on digital technologies and cloud computing systems. This process has been guided by the target of being able to offer unique advantages in digital transformation at a time when "distance" education was still not that important or necessary compared to the current situation. Moreover, the development of the e-learning system required the restructuring of the deanship and the creation of a separate department to take care of educational services, in order to be able to achieve its goals and meet the needs of the university entities.

Dr. Al-Mutairi added that the deanship has continued, with the support of the university leadership, to establish systems that support the educational process and its alternative at the same time. This is in order to create and provide the appropriate environment for digital learning and complete electronic transformation. He pointed out that the signs of distinction are demonstrated by the technical capabilities of the university and its containment of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic within hours of the decision to continue the process of education "remotely" as a precautionary measure to curb the crisis. Thus, the deanship managed to reap the harvest of years of work, development, construction and investment in its digital infrastructure and its human capital for the university to continue its educational career without disruption.

He noted that the university has taken several measures to support e-learning, motivate staff members and students to be creative and innovative, promote the spirit of competitiveness, and adopt the best practices through several motivational initiatives. These included: Umm Al-Qura E-Learning Award, with its categories that include: "Excellence in the Use of E-Learning Systems", "Distinction in Developing E-Curricula", "Excellence in E-Learning for Students", and "The Kholasa Initiative", in the context of supporting the directives of the Ministry of Education for the continuation of distance education as a strategic choice for academic institutions.

The University President honored the winners in the different E-learning Award categories. A total of 30 prizes were given for the "Excellence in the Use of E-Learning Systems" category to winners among the staff members, academic departments, and colleges; 3 winners received the prize of "Distinction in Developing E-Curricula"; whereas 15 students won in "The Kholasa Initiative" category.