Since the launch of the Saudi Vision 2030 in 2016, Umm Al-Qura University has been keen on motivating the university community to advance initiatives that serve the objectives of the Saudi Vision programs. In this context, the university authorities, in its various branches, have set up many interactive workshops, which have produced 8 approved initiatives within the programs of the Saudi Vision 2030:

• The Safety, Risk and Crisis Management Center (SAFE), one of the university’s programs that won the approval of the National Transformation Program 2020, serves the objectives of the national industries development programs, the development of human capabilities, and the strategic partnership programs.
• The initiative of “Developing the Skills of Health Practitioners through Training and Continuing Education”, and providing advice and professional accreditation services in the health sector, to serve the objectives of the human capacity development programs and the programs that enhance national identity.
• The “Human Capacity Development in Scientific Research” program for faculty members and postgraduate students serves the objectives of the human capacity development programs and strengthens strategic partnerships.
• The Modeling and Manufacturing Center for training university students in design, manufacturing and modeling serves the objectives of the national industries development programs, logistics, and human capacity development.
• The English Language Initiative to provide general and specialized educational courses through training and education using educational means serves the objectives of the human capacity development programs and the service of the pilgrims to Allah’s Sacred House.
• The Initiative of “Providing Services and a University Environment that Is Suitable for Students with Special Needs (Ghali)” serves the objectives of the national character enhancement and the quality of life programs.
• The Students Investment Qualification Initiative, specialized in developing services provided to student investors and in providing advice, serves the objectives of the human capacity development programs, the development of national industries programs, and the logistics programs.
• E-Qualification Program in the fields of investment, innovation and entrepreneurship serves the objectives of the human capacity development programs and the quality of life programs.

The university authorities played an important role in supporting the Saudi Vision’s programs and its three main themes: A vibrant society, a thriving economy, and an ambitious homeland. It launched various initiatives and implemented programs and projects that serve national aspirations.

General Administration for Volunteering:

The administration has worked to instill a spirit of volunteering among university employees and students to activate their role in community service. It launched various initiatives in which volunteers from various university majors participated.

• “Umm Al-Qura Volunteer Is Ready” initiative, with the participation of more than 4 thousand volunteers.
• “UQU Develops Your Skills” initiative to organize a number of training courses during the holy month of Ramadan, with the participation of more than 70 volunteers.
• “UQU Volunteer Interpreter” initiative to provide interpretation services in health facilities and with security officers when needed, with the participation of 33 volunteers.

General Administration for Digital Transformation:

The administration launched its strategic plan to advance the university’s role in keeping pace with the trends of the Saudi Vision within its objectives for digital transformation.

• A guide of the most important digital services provided to the university community was issued.
• A total of 112 digital services were introduced.
• 32 existing services on the Government Services Observatory platform were updated.
• A guide and documentation for the launching of electronic platforms were created.

General Administration of Cybersecurity:

The university has documented its role in raising security efficiency by establishing the General Administration of Cybersecurity, in the framework of enhancing security awareness among university employees and students as well as serving the community. This was achieved by developing competencies and raising the security readiness of the university’s systems and programs against risks and threats in cyberspace, via the following tasks:

• Strengthening partnerships with government agencies in the field of cybersecurity.
• Spreading security awareness in the community to achieve the Saudi Vision 2030
• Providing 15 training courses and workshops for 2,600 beneficiaries.
• Sending 36 publications and security warnings to more than 144,000 male and female beneficiaries.
• Preparing training portfolios to achieve the Crown Prince’s initiative to protect children in cyberspace.
• Attracting female trainees and empowering female faculty members to provide training courses, in fulfillment of the Crown Prince’s initiative to empower women in cybersecurity.
• Attracting a number of university male and female graduates to increase their employment opportunities in this field.

Center of Innovation and Development in Artificial Intelligence (CIADA):

The center was launched in 2020 to contribute to building tangible applications that serve the Saudi community and people in various areas of life and make them aware of the concepts of artificial intelligence. Since its inception, it has made several achievements, including:

• A project to study how to detect persons infected with COVID-19 by recording the sound of coughing, which was one of the 5 most prominent scientific activities to combat coronavirus at the level of the kingdom.
• Manufacturing ventilators.
• Obtaining a grant from the Oracle Research Company.

Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship:

The Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship invests in the country’s youth by launching initiatives that qualify students and support and develop their entrepreneurial ideas to create prosperous and sustainable economic diversity.

• “Future Pioneers” is an initiative approved by the Ministry of Education, within the National Transformation Program 2020, that targets students of the two stages: secondary and undergraduate.
• “My Factory” is an initiative approved by the Ministry of Education to raise the level of cognitive skills among school and university students.
• “Awtad” is an initiative that aims to develop and study ideas to advance projects that serve the field of entrepreneurship.

Institute for Consulting Research and Studies:

The institute seeks to excel in transferring knowledge and qualifying consultants in various specialized fields in order to achieve the objectives of the Saudi Vision in building a knowledge economy and sustainable development.

Achievements:

• Implementing 1363 training courses in professional development.
• Concluding 84 strategic partnerships.
• Signing 486 consulting contracts.
• Serving more than 72 thousand beneficiaries of social responsibility services.
• Serving more than 41 thousand beneficiaries of professional development services.

UQU Vice Presidency for Postgraduate Studies and Scientific Research:

The Vice Presidency, represented by the Deanship of Library Affairs, launched the knowledge platform “Dorar” to be one of the digital transformation initiatives in providing excellent information services. It embraces knowledge production and scientific publication at Umm Al-Qura University, including scientific theses, scientific journals, and the manuscripts owned by the university, along with some seminars and conferences held at the university.

The platform also provides access to more than 13 thousand scientific dissertations granted by the university, in addition to more than 12 thousand digital manuscripts. It gained the interaction of more than 1,585,000 users from 41 countries around the world.

Deanship of Scientific Research:

With the launch of the Saudi Vision, the university began publishing more of its research projects in international periodicals. Moreover, it has continued to publish a growing number of papers over the past 5 years until it published 1,323 papers in 2020. This is in the context of its keenness to increase knowledge and support the university’s male and female researchers in publishing their research internationally.

Deanship Initiatives:

• The development of the capabilities and skills of faculty members and postgraduate students in scientific research.
• Institutional finance.
• International cooperation.
• Distinguished research on the novel COVID-19.
• “Ataa” for research volunteering and volunteer research.

Research Chairs:

• The Teacher Muhammad Bin Laden Chair for Creativity and Entrepreneurship.
• King Salman bin Abdulaziz Chair for Studies on the History of Makkah.
• King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Chair for the Holy Quran.
• Yahia and Mashaal Al-Zaidi Chair for Research in Rheumatic Diseases
• Sheikh Saleh Sarafi Chair for Research on Coronary Artery Diseases.
• Umm Al-Qura Chair for the Revival of the Islamic Heritage.
• Prince Khaled Al-Faisal Chair for the Development of Makkah and the Sacred Sites
• Abdul-Latif Al-Issa Chair for Research and Studies on Orphans.

Moreover, the university has the honor and advantage of being in the neighborhood of the Sacred House of Allah, Therefore, it has dedicated efforts to the services in Makkah and the enrichment of the experience of pilgrims, Umrah performers and visitors with studies and initiatives with the concerned sectors, which it held through the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Institute for Hajj and Umrah Research.

The Institute’s Efforts to Improve the Experience of the Pilgrims

Initiatives:

• A project to measure the level of satisfaction of pilgrims and Umrah performers with the services provided.
• The Wafada platform for training workers in the service of pilgrims.
• Technical and advisory support services to complete and improve the outputs of the workshop held to prepare the operational plan for the service of the pilgrims.
• The initiative to virtually enrich the religious experience in the Hajj and Umrah system.
• Volunteering unit serving the pilgrims.
• “The Project for the Grand Challenges in Crowd Management”. Safe Crowds: Perception and decision-making systems for crowd management in Mina during the Hajj season. It is funded by the Ministry of Education’s Research and Development Support Program.

Studies:

• Studying different dimensions to increase the capacity.
• Evaluating the facilities and services in the Hajj terminal at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah.
• Setting indicators for the efficiency of facilities and services in the Grand Mosque.
• Measuring visitors’ satisfaction with the services provided in Madinah during Hajj 1441 AH.
• Setting standards for the quality of services provided to people with special needs in the Grand Mosque.
• Building standards for the quality of health services in the different seasons of Hajj and Umrah.
• Producing indicators about the attitudes of overseas pilgrims towards participating in the enrichment programs and activities during the Hajj journey.