The National Center directs associations to cooperate with the Statistics Department for the 2026 surveys

In a strategic move aimed at enhancing the accuracy of national data and supporting the development process, the National Center for the Development of the Non-Profit Sector an important and urgent circular to all charitable associations, foundations, and family funds operating in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The circular emphasized the necessity of full and complete cooperation with the field teams of the General Authority for Statistics and facilitating their work in implementing a comprehensive set of statistical surveys scheduled for 2026.

Enhancing integration to achieve Vision 2030

This directive comes within a broader national context aimed at achieving the goals of the Kingdom's Vision 2030 , which prioritizes the non-profit sector as a fundamental pillar of social and economic development. The Kingdom seeks to increase this sector's contribution to the GDP from less than 1% to 5%, in addition to reaching one million volunteers. To achieve these ambitious figures, accurate statistical data is the driving force behind sound decision-making, as development cannot be achieved without measurable data.

In his address to the chairpersons and trustees of the boards of directors, the center's CEO, Professor Ahmed Al-Suwailem, emphasized that this step stems from the principle of institutional integration between government entities and the components of the third sector. He pointed out that official statistics play a pivotal role in enhancing the quality of development planning, thus ensuring that resources and initiatives are directed towards the most vulnerable groups and regions.

Scope and importance of field surveys

The General Authority for Statistics intends to launch a comprehensive series of field surveys covering multiple aspects, including:

• Demographic and social surveys: to understand the demographic composition and changing needs of society.
• Economic surveys: to measure the financial impact of the sector, the size of its spending, and its contribution to the national economy.
• Environmental and spatial surveys: to update maps and geographic data that serve urban and environmental planning.

Specialized teams will visit various regions to collect accurate data and update the country's statistical indicators, which requires a high level of preparedness on the part of non-profit organizations to deal with these teams.

Data as a tool for governance and transparency

The circular closely links the accuracy of statistical data with enhancing the efficiency of the non-profit sector. Updating indicators will directly contribute to highlighting the genuine efforts of associations and reinforce the principles of transparency and governance adopted by the National Center. Furthermore, having an up-to-date database will help donors and strategic partners make funding decisions based on facts and figures, rather than arbitrary estimates.

The center called on all non-profit organizations to immediately circulate this directive internally to their staff, to ensure the provision of all possible logistical and informational facilities that guarantee the success of the field work without any obstacles, reflecting the Kingdom’s commitment to adopting the language of numbers as a fundamental pillar in building the future.