For the first time in its history, Saudi Arabia’s nonprofit sector has surpassed SAR 100 billion in economic value, equivalent to 3.3% of the national GDP, according to the newly released "Nonprofit Sector Outlook 2025" report by the King Khalid Foundation — the Kingdom’s leading reference report on the state and prospects of the nonprofit ecosystem.

 

The sector’s contribution was driven by several sources: endowments accounted for SAR 48 billion in GDP contribution, nonprofit organizations followed with l SAR 47 billion in spending, volunteering added an estimated SAR 5 billion in economic value, and cooperatives contributed SAR 2 billion in value.

 

The report forecasts continued robust growth, projecting that the sector will reach the Vision 2030 target of contributing 5% to GDP two years ahead of schedule.

 

Key insights from the report include:

  •      Education and research nonprofits came in first in revenues with over SAR 19 billion.
  •      Health organizations recorded the highest spending at SAR 15 billion, following the transformation of several public assets into nonprofit entities.
  •      Culture, entertainment, and social services nonprofits topped employment and job creation within the sector.

 

The report also analyzed revenue sources, highlighting the critical role of government support and digital donation platforms. In 2024 alone, digital giving exceeded SAR 15 billion, led by the Ehsan charitable platform. Notably, most donations came from micro philanthropists (e.g., SAR 1, SAR 10, SAR 100), while major donors (those giving SAR 100,000 or more) contributed 26% of the total donations.

 

Additionally, endowment investment funds reached over SAR 1.7 billion in assets under management by the end of 2024. These institutional portfolios are expected to shape the sector’s financial sustainability, with projections indicating growth towards SAR 100 billion in assets by 2040.

 

On a societal level, the report revealed high public engagement: 23% of Saudis volunteered and 47% donated in 2024, reflecting the integration of social responsibility as a lifestyle. Trust in the nonprofit sector has also risen significantly, with 86% of Saudis expressing confidence in 2024 — up from 73% in 2017.

 

As the first comprehensive and data-driven reference of its kind in the Kingdom, the Nonprofit Sector Outlook report highlights in its fourth edition the economic, developmental, and social role of the Saudi nonprofit sector. It details size, functions, workforce, wages, geographic reach, as well as the impact of giving and volunteering. The report positions the nonprofit sector as a central pillar in achieving Vision 2030’s goal of deepening citizen engagement and institutionalizing Saudi Arabia’s deeply rooted values of generosity, solidarity, and civic contribution.

 

🔗 The full report is available for download [here].