Umm Al-Qura University’s Career and Innovation Forum concludes
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Umm Al-Qura University’s Career and Innovation Forum concludes

Makka’s Umm Al-Qura University recently concluded its three-day Career and Innovation Forum that aims to foster entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation. (Umm Al-Qura University)

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Updated 10 June 2023

Tarek Al-Thaqafi

June 10, 2023 14:21

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Umm Al-Qura University’s Career and Innovation Forum concludes

• Saudi university’s 2023 forum attracts 50 international companies
• Thousands of training jobs also offered at the event in Makkah

Updated 10 June 2023

Tarek Al-Thaqafi

June 10, 2023 14:21

Follow @arabnews

MAKKAH: Makkah’s Umm Al-Qura University recently concluded its three-day Career and Innovation Forum 2023 that aimed to foster entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation.

The forum serves as a scientific and professional incubator in which the roles of various governmental, private and non-profit sectors are integrated to create suitable job opportunities for university graduates and students in various scientific disciplines.

Dr. Amer Al-Zaidi, UQU’s vice president for educational affairs, told Arab News that the forum brought together various ideas and entrepreneurial projects under one umbrella.

“UQU required from all of its students that their graduation projects be pioneering and serve as the nucleus of a pioneering company in the future,” he said.

He noted that 1,500 graduation projects were filtered into 60 pioneering projects through UQU’s Institute of Research and Innovation. “A group of international investment companies were invited to arbitrate these projects, including Makkah Co., owned by Umm Al-Qura University. The companies chose eight projects in preparation for converting them into pioneering companies, and signing the required contracts. One of those companies, for example, provided a design for Ihram clothes with cooling and bacteria-free features.”

Al-Zaidi pointed out that 50 international companies took part in the forum offering 2,000 training jobs. “Some of these companies even provided face-to-face interviews for immediate employment, where the interviews took place within the forum. Others provided work contracts after concluding a six-month training, which is an opportunity for students to learn about the jobs offered, and exploit them,” said Al-Zaidi.

He added that these opportunities coincided with the graduation ceremony held last week that saw the graduation of 16 thousand students, and said the university, in turn, offered jobs in addition to organizing 20 training courses and 20 workshops to train graduates for the labor market. The workshop focused on training the participants on resume formulation and knowledge preparation for the labor market.

Al-Zaidi underlined that the forum targets graduate and entrepreneurial students, along with talented local students in Makkah, with the very best given immediate admission to the university.

He said that, as part of the efforts aimed at making Makkah a smart city, “we at UQU have contracted with the Royal Commission for Makkah City to ensure the actual application of the projects submitted in the holy sites, the Grand Mosque in Makkah and in Madinah so that they form a practical extension for all the successful and winning ideas in the Hajj hackathon.”

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Umm Al-Qura University’s Career and Innovation Forum concludes

Umm Al-Qura University’s Career and Innovation Forum concludes

MAKKAH: Makkah’s Umm Al-Qura University recently concluded its three-day Career and Innovation Forum 2023 that aimed to foster entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation.

The forum serves as a scientific and professional incubator in which the roles of various governmental, private and non-profit sectors are integrated to create suitable job opportunities for university graduates and students in various scientific disciplines.

Dr. Amer Al-Zaidi, UQU’s vice president for educational affairs, told Arab News that the forum brought together various ideas and entrepreneurial projects under one umbrella.

“UQU required from all of its students that their graduation projects be pioneering and serve as the nucleus of a pioneering company in the future,” he said.

He noted that 1,500 graduation projects were filtered into 60 pioneering projects through UQU’s Institute of Research and Innovation. “A group of international investment companies were invited to arbitrate these projects, including Makkah Co., owned by Umm Al-Qura University. The companies chose eight projects in preparation for converting them into pioneering companies, and signing the required contracts. One of those companies, for example, provided a design for Ihram clothes with cooling and bacteria-free features.”

Al-Zaidi pointed out that 50 international companies took part in the forum offering 2,000 training jobs. “Some of these companies even provided face-to-face interviews for immediate employment, where the interviews took place within the forum. Others provided work contracts after concluding a six-month training, which is an opportunity for students to learn about the jobs offered, and exploit them,” said Al-Zaidi.

He added that these opportunities coincided with the graduation ceremony held last week that saw the graduation of 16 thousand students, and said the university, in turn, offered jobs in addition to organizing 20 training courses and 20 workshops to train graduates for the labor market. The workshop focused on training the participants on resume formulation and knowledge preparation for the labor market.

Al-Zaidi underlined that the forum targets graduate and entrepreneurial students, along with talented local students in Makkah, with the very best given immediate admission to the university.

He said that, as part of the efforts aimed at making Makkah a smart city, “we at UQU have contracted with the Royal Commission for Makkah City to ensure the actual application of the projects submitted in the holy sites, the Grand Mosque in Makkah and in Madinah so that they form a practical extension for all the successful and winning ideas in the Hajj hackathon.”

Six local, international documentaries on show

JEDDAH: The Red Sea Documentary Film Days is showcasing six documentaries from Saudi Arabia, France, Guinea, Syria, and Iraq, exploring themes of migration, camaraderie, and cinema archives at Hayy Cinema in Jeddah.
The event, which kicked off on Thursday and will run until June 25, is co-curated by the Red Sea International Film Festival Foundation and Art Jameel.
It is showcasing three Saudi films: “Yallah, Yallah, Beenah!,” “The King’s Poem,” and “Memories From The North”; and three international films: Iraq’s “My Lost Country,” Guinea/France’s “The Cemetery of Cinema,” and Syria’s “Becoming Iphigenia.”
In a press release, Mohammed Al-Turki, CEO of the Red Sea International Film Festival Foundation, described documentaries as an “integral” part of film culture that help raise awareness on important issues.
“We are excited to showcase this medium as documentaries become more popular than ever, winning many of world cinema’s top festival prizes,” he added.
In an exclusive interview with Arab News, Kaleem Aftab, director of international programming at the Red Sea International Film Festival Foundation, said that through the Red Sea Documentary Film Days, the foundation is “looking at partners and collaborators to show films that are a little bit more tricky and (that) Saudi audiences are not used to.
“We are more used to narrative dramas, not so used to having documentaries.”
The Red Sea International Film Festival Foundation and Hayy Jameel previously partnered for “Red Sea: Immersive at Hayy Jameel,” a program of virtual reality experiences organized as part of the inaugural Red Sea International Film Festival back in 2021.
Speaking of the collaboration with Art Jameel, an organization that supports artists and creative communities, Aftab said that Hayy Jameel is a perfect partner.
“They have a wonderful location, a great cinema, and we have similar sensibilities and a desire to engage with the public in Jeddah to further arts and to create debate,” he said.
“Yallah, Yallah, Beenah!,” “Becoming Iphigenia,” and “The Cemetery of Cinema” (which also played at the Berlin Film Festival), premiered in the Middle East and North Africa region for the first time during the event’s opening weekend.
“We are very happy because all of these films received support from the (foundation),” Aftab said, adding that the screenings provide an opportunity for the public to “engage with not just cinema or documentaries, but with ideas.”
Saudi director Mohammed Hammad of “Yallah, Yallah, Beenah!” said: “The film is a dedication to the city of Jeddah, which I remember as a kid and pre-teen.”
The Red Sea Documentary Film Days is accompanied by an extended public program that includes talks and workshops for all ages.
To learn more about the program, documentaries or to book tickets, visit: https://www.hayycinema.org/

Students join handicrafts week to create, promote traditional crafts

RIYADH: The Royal Institute of Traditional Arts staged several workshops this week as part of the activities of Saudi International Handicrafts Week.
The events focused on the carving of wood, gypsum and clay and sought to highlight and preserve some of the Kingdom’s traditional arts.
The wood carving workshop challenged participants to produce pieces inspired by the traditional doors found in different parts of the country, each of which is made from a particular type of wood, such as tamarisk, teak or juniper.
The gypsum carving event sought to produce pieces influenced by the historic houses of Jeddah, while the clay workshop aimed to create works inspired by the wall paintings of Al-Qatt Al-Asiri.
Al-Qatt Al-Asiri is an art form practiced exclusively by women and deeply rooted in the identity of the Kingdom’s southern region. It can be seen decorating the interior walls of guest rooms in Asiri homes.
In 2017, UNESCO added Al-Qatt Al-Asiri to its Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
Students from the institute also sold traditional fashion items, jewelry, wooden crafts and Al-Qatt Al-Asiri products at the event.
The Saudi International Handicrafts Week is organized by the Heritage Authority and runs until Monday at the Riyadh Front.

Kaaba kiswa raised in preparation for Hajj

RIYADH: In keeping with tradition, the lower part of the kiswa — the black cloth covering the Kaaba in Makkah — has been raised about three meters and the area beneath has been covered with white cotton fabric, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday.

The same procedure is repeated annually before Hajj season in order to protect the kiswa, as some pilgrims touch it when circling the Kaaba.

Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Sudais, president of the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, was present when the kiswa was raised.

Sultan Al-Qurashi, assistant to the president general for the affairs of the King Abdulaziz Complex for Holy Kaaba Kiswa, exhibitions, engineering, technical, and operational affairs, said that “raising the lower part of the kiswa serves to preserve its cleanliness and (integrity) and preventing tampering.” He added that the kiswa is also raised to prevent some pilgrims’ practices “based on false beliefs.”

Every year, on the ninth day of the Islamic month of Dul Hijjah, the black silk cloth is removed and a new kiswa is draped in its place.

Riyadh to host international project management forum

RIYADH: The Project Management Institute will host the second Global Project Management Forum in Riyadh on June 12.
The two-day forum’s title is “Project Management Ecosystem: The Journey to Excellence” and, according to a press release, is an initiative intended to support sustainable development in Saudi Arabia.
Participants include Areej Naqshbandi, senior director at the Public Investment Fund, and Park Joon-yong, South Korean ambassador to Saudi Arabia, who is this year’s guest of honor.
Besides a number of workshops and talks, the event will also include the announcement of the winners of the Global Project Excellence Awards.
Badr M. Burshaid, president of the PMI’s Saudi chapter, said in a statement: “The forum provides an opportunity for institutions and companies to showcase their services, tools, and technologies that support and empower the project ecosystem, as well as to talk about the best practices and the latest technology and research in the field of project management.”
He added that the forum is aligned with Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to boost economic growth and diversity through non-oil sectors in the Kingdom.
“The forum will also explore giga-projects from a different perspective in the ecosystem, such as governance, value-chain economics, and sustainable social impact,” Burshaid said.

Drug dealers, smugglers arrested across Kingdom

RIYADH: Saudi authorities have reportedly arrested a number of people across the country for drug-related offenses in recent days.

On Saturday, Border Guard patrols in the Al-Aridhah governorate of Jazan arrested five Yemenis system for smuggling the narcotic plant, qat, having previously thwarted an attempt to smuggle in 100 kilograms of qat. In Al-Rabwa in Asir, the Border Guard arrested 27 Yemenis attempting to smuggle qat into the Kingdom.

The General Directorate for Narcotics Control announced that it had arrested a citizen in Tabuk for dealing amphetamine, methamphetamine and hashish, and another person in Hail for dealing amphetamine.

Jeddah police announced that they had arrested Yemeni residents for hashish dealing, and Al-Khurma police arrested three citizens in Makkah for the same offense.

Preliminary legal procedures have been completed, and all seized narcotics were handed over to the authorities. All those arrested have been referred to the Public Prosecution.

Members of the public can report suspected smuggling or other violations of the customs system in strict confidence via email — [email protected] — or through the designated number for security reports: 1910 from within the country, +966114208417 from overseas. A financial reward is offered if the information leads to discovery of a crime.