Al-Rajhi: Non-profit organizations grow 370%, with the sector’s contribution to GDP rising to around 1.2%
Saudi Minister of Human Resources and Social Development and Chairman of the Board of the National Center for the Non-Profit Sector (NCNP), Ahmed bin Sulaiman Al-Rajhi, inaugurated the International Non-Profit Sector Forum, organized by the NCNP in Riyadh from 3 to 5 December 2025. The forum opened with strong participation, bringing together more than 2,000 attendees, including leaders, policymakers, experts, specialists and stakeholders from inside and outside Saudi Arabia, along with 100 speakers from 20 countries.
In his opening remarks, Al-Rajhi said the non-profit sector in Saudi Arabia has expanded by 370 percent, with the number of organizations rising from 1,700 in 2017 to more than 7,000 in 2025. He pointed to the sector’s long history in the nation, which goes back nearly a century to the first official regulation on charitable donations issued in 1928 during the reign of the founding King Abdulaziz. He noted that Saudi Vision 2030 has been a major catalyst for change in the sector, particularly through the establishment of the NCNP as a unified regulatory body and a key driver of better governance, greater transparency, stronger organizational empowerment and improved effectiveness.
Al-Rajhi highlighted a number of notable achievements in recent years, including an increase in the share of specialized organizations aligned with national development priorities to more than 92 percent, and the sector’s contribution to GDP reaching around 1.2 percent, with a target of 5 percent by 2030.
He added that employment in the non-profit sector has grown to 140,000 people, up from 19,000 in 2017, while the efficiency of developmental spending has exceeded 75 percent. Volunteerism has also seen a major surge, with the number of volunteers reaching 1.5 million in 2025 and the number of annual volunteering opportunities surpassing 500,000, while beneficiary satisfaction with the sector’s services has climbed above 89 percent.
At the close of his address, Al-Rajhi thanked the Saudi leadership for its strong support of the non-profit sector, stressing that the forum will help to enhance its impact locally and internationally and to build high-quality partnerships that advance sustainable development.
The International Non-Profit Sector Forum is built around four main themes and features 30 panel discussions, more than 15 workshops, and a platform for launching initiatives and signing agreements, in addition to professional volunteering activities that see the participation of senior officials and dignitaries, all aimed at promoting a culture of volunteerism and supporting the sector’s development goals.
