It is not often in life that you can genuinely feel like you have been part of something incredibly special.

This is how I felt about the first meeting of the International Advisory Council at Umm Al-Qura University.

I believe it could prove a defining moment, as the council has the potential to change the futures of our young, to change Saudi, and maybe even the world.

The ambition is clear - to see our university ranked among the world’s top institutions.

This means when people discuss the best education, the best research, and world-leading innovations, they will talk of places such as Harvard, Oxford, and Umm Al-Qura.

The first meeting of the advisory council was an important step towards this goal, and bringing together some of the world’s greatest academic minds.

These brought great wisdom which will help guide us in our own pursuit of excellence.

Council members included globally-recognized thought leader Professor Wendy Purcell, who brought vast knowledge from Harvard and University College London.

There was also Professor Ravi Naidu - an expert on environmental remediation, based at the University of Newcastle in Australia.

Professor Sing-Kai Low gave everyone an insight into his incredible experience in providing mentorship to early and mid-career researchers from several universities in the United States, Australia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.

Professor Soumitra Dutta from the University of Oxford talked about universities as investment hubs for innovation and growth, while Professor Stefano Caselli from Bocconi University, Italy, looked at how strategic finance can act as a catalyst to transform higher education.

And finally, Doctor Ulrik Juul Christensen, who is based in Denmark, touched on an area that is fast growing and will impact more and more lives - Artificial Intelligence.

Umm Al-Qura University’s lecturers, academics and officials were incredibly excited to be present, to listen, talk, and most importantly, learn from them.

As I said in opening the event - by working together, we can achieve great things.

While the knowledge of our international experts will help lead us to great success, the gathering was made possible by some of the shining stars of Umm Al-Qura University.

First of all, it was the incredible vision of the university’s President and President of the International Advisory Council Prof Moaddi Aal- Madhhab, who led the institution to this great moment.

There has also been a massive contribution from Professor Warda Al-Asmari, secretary of the International Advisory Council and vice president for Business Development and Community Partnerships.

The building blocks put in place at this event will prove the foundation stones of huge developments long into the future.

As well as helping Umm Al-Qura University to lead on the global stage and become a preferred destination for international students, there will also be far-reaching consequences within our country.

It will accelerate achievements towards Vision 2030, and provide a template for all universities in Saudi Arabia to follow in creating the very best environments for all students to succeed and innovate.

The first meeting of the International Advisory Council has set the tone for all of us.

We are undoubtedly on the road to great change - not only for Saudi Arabia, but also in terms of our global influence, and hopefully leading the world into an exciting new era.