Saudi non-profit sector registers 1.4pc rise

RIYADH, Apr 06 (Arab News): Non-profit organizations in Saudi Arabia grew by 72 in March, as the sector recorded a 1.4 per cent rise over the month.
Official figures released by the National Centre for Non-Profit Sector Development showed the number of bodies registered in this sphere now stands at 4,721 - a 182 per cent rise from 2018.
March saw the creation of 57 civil associations, seven civil society organizations, and eight family funds across the Kingdom, according to a report by the Saudi Press Agency.
The non-profit sector is a key part of the Kingdom's Vision 2030 economic diversification initiative, and in June Minister of Human Resources and Social Development Ahmed Al-Rajhi lauded the organizations for creating "sustainable impacts" and implementing "many outstanding projects."
The SPA report highlighting the latest increase said the National Centre "noted the continuous growth witnessed by the non-profit sector, at the level of non-profit organizations, the number of volunteers, and the increase witnessed in the number of technically supervised units in government agencies."
The release added; "The Centre points to the progress achieved through the cooperation of all parties of the non-profit sector system, and the observed development in the governance of non-profit organizations.
"In 2023, it achieved advanced levels of governance, which confirms the sector organizations' commitment to compliance according to the targeted development roles."
According to SPA, the Centre also announced the issuance of decisions against a number of non-profit organizations and individuals, including four warnings against civil society organizations, four dismissal decisions for the boards of directors of civil society organizations, and a decision to exclude an employee of a civil society organization from working in the sector for a temporary period.