Umm al-Qura

: "Umm al-Qura" may also refer to a calendar of Saudi Arabia. See Islamic calendar.

Umm al-Qura ( _ar. أم القرى) as an Arabic language term signifies "the center of villages" in Arabic. Though it is not a proper noun, it is mostly often used to refer to Mecca, a major city of Saudi Arabia. As a very common usage "Umm Al-Qura" refers to the University of Saudi Arabia, located in Mecca.

Umm Al-Qura University

In 1949 (1369H) King Abdul Aziz established the College of Shari'a (Islamic Law) in Makkah Al-Mukarramah, making it the first higher education institution in the country. It constituted the kernel of Umm Al-Qura University and its most prominent college. Henceforward, the establishment of higher education institutions continued. Among them, Umm Al-Qura University is distinguished by its unique location in the Holy City, and its academic reputation in the fields of Islamic studies and scientific and applied disciplines.

The University of Umm Al-Qura was established in 1981 by the royal decree number 39 on 30/7/1981 with the following Departments:

* College of Medicine and Medical Sciences
* Colleges of Da'wa (Call to Islam)
* Arabic Language
* Applied Sciences
* Social Sciences
* Engineering and Islamic Architecture
* Computer and Information Systems
* College of Natural Sciences college of Community Service