ع
The National Center for the Non-Profit Sector published its 18-article draft rules on the Istitlaa public consultation platform, where they remain open for public comment until September 10. The proposed regulations explicitly ban the use of children in advertising or marketing materials tied to fundraising appeals, alongside prohibitions on misleading claims, exaggerated promises or any content that could undermine charitable work. The center framed the measures as essential to strengthening governance, protecting donors and beneficiaries and ensuring all activities comply with existing media, data protection and anti-cybercrime laws.
Advertisements under the draft must incorporate a QR code or link to the official “Donate Safely” service so supporters can verify licenses before contributing. Entities are required to disclose fundraising targets, progress toward those goals, total costs and any deducted expenses in real time throughout each campaign. The National Center for the Non-Profit Sector further restricts the use of sacred imagery, including references to the Two Holy Mosques, without explicit prior approvals from relevant authorities.
This proposal extends earlier guidance from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, which reminded non-profit organizations in March 2024 that Article 3 of the Child Protection Law bars exploitation of minors for marketing or donation drives. The ministry noted it had observed repeated violations during Ramadan campaigns and would apply legal measures against offending groups. Such interventions reflect ongoing efforts to align charitable practices with child safeguarding standards across the kingdom.
Saudi Arabia’s non-profit sector has expanded significantly under Vision 2030, which sets a target of lifting its contribution to gross domestic product to five percent by 2030 from less than one percent previously. The National Center for the Non-Profit Sector, created in 2019, now supervises licensing and oversight for more than 1,500 organizations, according to General Authority for Statistics sector surveys. A separate fundraising regulation bylaw that entered into force in May 2026 already limited cash collections to approved digital channels and required Saudi nationals to manage all campaigns.
The draft stipulates that each fundraising license must tie to a specific purpose, duration and, for in-kind drives, geographic area, with any changes needing explicit center approval. Applicants must demonstrate sound governance, clean compliance records for the prior year and detailed operational plans before approval. Contracts with external marketing or advertising partners require those firms to hold their own licenses and obtain center consent prior to engagement.
Rules governing in-kind donations mandate official receipts, qualified storage facilities that meet health and technical standards, and center approval before any unusable items are sold. Proceeds from such sales must support beneficiaries or offset documented collection costs. The National Center for the Non-Profit Sector also requires licensed entities to maintain internal policies for handling conflicts of interest, processing complaints and ensuring full regulatory compliance.
