Charitable Organizations in Saudi Arabia

Charitable Organizations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia play a role in serving the community and its tangible and intangible components. The government of the Kingdom has established the necessary legislation to formalize their status, facilitate their work, and regulate their performance through the Law of Civil Society Associations and Organizations, issued in 2015.

According to the National Center for Non-Profit Sector, there are 3,156 non-profit organizations in the Kingdom, distributed across various provinces and governorates.

Charitable organizations and institutions are classified according to specific criteria. The Law of Civil Society Associations and Organizations defines the duties of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development and the supervising authority. Under this law, the ministry is responsible for issuing licenses for organizations and associations, as well as establishing a fund to support associations. The law’s regulations include fundamental data and provisions related to associations, allowing for the establishment of branches and providing them with equipment and resources.

The Law of Civil Society Associations and Organizations defines an association as any non-profit group that is organized for a definite or indefinite period, comprising natural or corporate persons, or both, for philanthropic or cooperative purposes; for a religious activity determined by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah, and Guidance; for social, cultural, health-related, environmental, educational, instructional, scientific, vocational, creative, or youth- or tourist-related activities, or the like; or any activity relating to consumer protection or any other civil activity as determined by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development; whether through material, moral, technical, or other forms of support, whether the activities are directed to serve the public, such as public society associations, or towards serving specialists or professionals, such as professional associations, scientific societies, and literary societies.

The activities of charitable organizations in the Kingdom vary, including family health support, housing assistance for families in need, programs to empower productive families to become self-reliant, as well as training and developing the skills of young men and women in vocational trades to facilitate their entry into the labor market.

The Associations Support Fund is a legally recognized entity with an independent financial structure, strategically linked to both the development strategy and the non-profit sector strategy. It was established by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development in 2023 to empower and support associations by growing their resources and investments, activating partnerships, and achieving financial sustainability to maximize their social impact.

The objectives of the Associations Support Fund include: supporting programs and projects that help develop the financial capabilities of associations, enhancing institutional capacity-building initiatives, and funding research and studies that advance the work and programs of associations through coordination with relevant authorities. Additionally, the fund aims to support projects that improve internal capacities, aid associations focused on social innovation in developing tools to achieve their goals, and assist volunteer initiatives that improve the level of volunteer work in emerging associations by building their institutional capacities and helping them achieve their objectives.