Umm Al-Qura University will implement Oracle’s Autonomous Database to create an integrated digital platform that will help the university deliver seamless and paperless educational services to more than 100,000 students across its 36 colleges on five campuses.
The new implementation will also enable the university to introduce programs in digital skills across emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence for students to help prepare the country’s next generation workforce.
“As part of the Vision 2030 initiative, Saudi Arabia is focused on developing at least five universities in the country to be featured among the world’s top educational institutions, Umm Al-Qura University being one of them,” said Dr. Atif Al-Hijali, vice dean of e-services.
“At Umm Al-Qura University, we are fully aligned with the national aspirations and have thus been investing in creating a modern IT infrastructure that will help us deliver a truly digital experience across all our colleges. The Oracle Autonomous Database is helping us create this platform, as the solution enables us to scale efficiently while also integrating vital data with other relevant government ministries,” he added.
“In 2018, only 40 of our services were online — our aim is for everyone including tutors, researchers and students to complete all tasks from their home or office and come to the university only for in-person classes or to write exams. With the Oracle Autonomous Database, we will now offer 200 subsites with personalized editors and publishers with their own workflows, without any intervention from the IT department,” said Dr. Hijali.
Based in the holy city of Makkah, the university receives nearly 35,000 applications for its bachelors’ degree program and over 50,000 applications overall across all degree programs. With the implementation of Oracle Autonomous Data Warehouse, the university aims to enhance the user experience of the automated registration, admissions, administration and many other processes, especially for the university’s top management.
“Umm Al-Qura University is a pioneering educational institution that has always prioritized technological advancement to deliver high-quality education to Saudi students. The adoption of Oracle’s self-driving, self-securing and self-repairing autonomous database will help the university deliver ‘future ready’ education to Saudi students, to equip them with the required skills for succeeding in the digital economy,” said Fahad Al-Turief, country manager — Saudi Arabia, Oracle.