Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal officiated the ceremony and honored the parents and donors of Dar Al-Hekma at its Prince Bandar bin Sultan Auditorium.

In all, 217 female students have successfully completed the requirements for bachelor degrees in their chosen fields of study at the college. This was the eighth batch of students to graduate from the college since its establishment in 1999.

Students who have graduated this year did so in interior design, graphic design, management information systems, nursing, banking and finance, speech and hearing, and special education (autism and learning disabilities).

This year’s graduates have also been involved in various activities throughout their program at the college.

Fourteen students have memorized the Holy Qur’an; two have completed over 1,000 hours of community service by being actively involved with the Social Responsibility Unit at Dar Al-Hekma; 12 have won the Social Entrepreneurship Forum organized by the college in association with the US’ Babson College; four presented papers and projects at various international conferences that were held in Australia, Spain and the UK; three were given awards at US President Barack Obama’s Summit on Entrepreneurship in Washington this year; and six won competitions for best design, photography and sports.

“Dar Al-Hekma has succeeded in building a unique, modern and civilized character for the Saudi lady who in turn contributes value, drives change, engages in quiescent dialogues, and adopts a convincing logic in her discussions, which I clearly witnessed in my daughter Shaima as she developed over her college years,” said Abdullah Bugshan, a parent.

The college has till date produced a total of 779 graduates in various disciplines. The college’s alumnae are either successfully employed in reputable organizations or pursuing further education; some graduates have established their own businesses in the Kingdom.

“Indeed we are delighted with the growing success of our graduates till date; this year’s event is special since it is a celebration of a decade of academic achievement. The academic programs that we offer now and plan for in the future tend to reflect the need for certain jobs in the labor market and we aspire to continue to provide for such needs,” said Dr. Lamya Gazzaz, vice dean of student affairs.