Details of the Shura Council's approval of the draft Volunteer Work Law
The Saudi Shura Council, chaired by His Excellency the Speaker, Sheikh Dr. Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Ibrahim Al Sheikh, held its twenty-fifth regular session of the second year of its ninth term via video conference. The session's agenda was topped by several important decisions, most notably the Shura Council's approval of the draft Volunteer Work Law. This reflects the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's commitment to enhancing individual contributions to community development and structuring charitable and community work according to the highest institutional standards.
The Roots of Giving: The Historical Context of Organizing Community Work
Interest in charitable and community work is not a recent phenomenon in Saudi Arabia; rather, it is an extension of deeply rooted religious and cultural values within Saudi society. Historically, volunteering was practiced through individual efforts or via local charitable organizations that addressed specific needs. With the launch of Saudi Vision 2030, the urgent need to institutionalize this vital sector became apparent. The Vision set an ambitious goal of reaching one million volunteers by 2030. Hence, the importance of enacting legislation that regulates these efforts and protects the rights of both volunteers and beneficiaries, thus transforming the environment of giving from individual initiatives to organized institutional work that ensures sustainability and efficiency.
Strategic dimensions of approving the draft volunteer work system
carries of the unified volunteer work system profound strategic dimensions. Locally, this system contributes to providing a safe and motivating environment for volunteers, ensuring the documentation of their volunteer hours and the protection of their rights, which positively impacts social and economic development. Regionally, the approval of the unified law strengthens Gulf integration and unifies efforts and concepts related to community work among the GCC countries, facilitating the exchange of expertise and the launch of joint cross-border volunteer initiatives. Internationally, this approach highlights the commitment of the Kingdom and the Gulf states to global standards of sustainable development and reinforces their position as leading countries in supporting organized humanitarian and community initiatives.
Key international agreements and memoranda of understanding adopted
In addition to societal legislation, the Council began its session by reviewing the agenda and discussing a number of topics and reports, making the necessary decisions to enhance international cooperation. The Council approved a package of memoranda of understanding and agreements with several friendly countries and international organizations.
These approvals included a memorandum of understanding between the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the government of the Republic of South Africa for cooperation in the field of labor. Two memoranda of understanding were also approved with the Republic of Singapore; the first between the National Center for the Development of the Non-Profit Sector in the Kingdom and the Singaporean Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth for cooperation in the non-profit sector, and the second concerning cooperation in the field of social development.
In the transport sector, the Council approved a memorandum of understanding between the Saudi Ministry of Transport and Logistics and the Spanish Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility to cooperate in the field of modern transport methods.
The approvals also included a draft agreement between the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development in the Kingdom and the Federal Ministry of Labor and Employment in the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the field of labor recruitment. Finally, the Council supported innovation by approving a draft cooperation agreement between the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property and the World Intellectual Property Organization to improve business services in intellectual property offices.
