Saudi Arabia’s National Centre for the Development of the Non-Profit Sector has referred 21 commercial entities and three social media influencers to the authorities for breaching the country’s legal framework on charitable and non-profit activities. The violations include commercial misuse of licenses, irregular donation collection practices, and unlicensed operations—offences that threaten the transparency of a sector critical to the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 social transformation goals.
As part of its broader oversight, the centre also issued warnings to four civil society organisations, suspended six staff members, and dissolved one organisation’s board for collecting donations through unofficial channels. These enforcement actions underscore the Kingdom’s commitment to strengthening regulatory frameworks.
Aligning sector operations with national laws and governance norms is a key function of the centre, which has the authority to licence, oversee, and manage the non-profit ecosystem. In an effort to increase accountability and transparency, it has the authority to suspend or disband any organisation that disregards its authorised bylaws.
While the identities of the violators have not been disclosed, all cases have been forwarded to the judiciary for further investigation. The Kingdom’s stepped-up scrutiny also follows recent actions against influencers over other violations, including drug-related content and COVID-19 protocol breaches, reflecting a growing drive to professionalise public-facing sectors.
