Saudi Arabia’s Non-profit Sector Exceeds SAR 100 Billion in New Record

The Prospects for the Non-Profit Sector 2025 report by the King Khalid Foundation has revealed that Saudi Arabia’s non-profit sector has exceeded SAR 100 billion in economic contribution for the first time in its history, accounting for 3.3% of the Kingdom’s GDP.

The report broke down the key contributors, with SAR 48 billion attributed to Awqaf and SAR 47 billion to non-profit organisations in spending. Volunteering added SAR 5 billion, and cooperative societies added SAR 2 billion.

In terms of revenue generation, the sub-sectors of education and research led the way with a revenue of over SAR 19 billion. Health organisations, aided by the conversion of government assets in health and education into non-profit entities, reported the largest total spending at SAR 15 billion. Organisations focused on culture, entertainment and social services saw the highest employment rates.

Funding for the non-profit sector came from a variety of sources, including government support and digital donation platforms, who set a new record by reaching more than SAR 15 billion in 2024. There was significant contribution from small donors, according to the National Platform for Charitable Work (Ehsan), whilst major philanthropists (those who donated SAR 100,000 or more) accounted for 26% of total contributions.

The asset value of endowment investment funds surpassed SAR 1.7 billion, indicating the continued growth of these emerging funds for a more financially sustainable future.

Participation on the community level was particularly strong with 47% of Saudi citizens making donations and 23% participating in volunteer work. This increased commitment to non-profit organisations was reflected in the growth of confidence rates in the non-profit sector to 86%, compared to 73% of Saudis in 2017.