The Governor of the Eastern Province reviews the achievements of the unified Zakat al-Fitr program over the past 10 years
His Royal Highness Prince Saud bin Nayef bin Abdulaziz, Governor of the Eastern Province and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Eastern Province Charity Association, received a delegation of officials from charitable organizations implementing the unified Zakat al-Fitr program at his office in the Governorate building on Wednesday. The meeting included a review of the work plan for the year 1447 AH, as well as a presentation of the achievements report documenting ten years of dedicated work and continuous contributions.
This meeting comes within the framework of the great attention the Eastern Province Emirate pays to developing the non-profit sector and promoting the concepts of organized institutional work. The unified Zakat al-Fitr program is a pioneering model in the region, aiming to unify efforts among charitable organizations to ensure efficient distribution and equitable access to beneficiaries, in line with the general directions to enhance the governance of charitable work and raise its operational efficiency to ensure its sustainability and direct impact on society.
During the meeting, His Royal Highness the Prince of the Eastern Province commended the qualitative leap the program has brought about in charitable work mechanisms, praising the remarkable institutional development highlighted in the report. He emphasized that the achieved social impact reflects a significant success in organizing the Zakat al-Fitr ritual and ensuring its delivery to those entitled to it in accordance with precise Sharia guidelines. He also noted the efforts of those responsible for the program in implementing the highest standards of transparency and governance, which reflects the maturity of the charitable experience in the region.
For his part, Engineer Ibrahim bin Mohammed Abu Abah, CEO of the Eastern Province Charity Association, presented a detailed overview of the program's progress, explaining that the adopted operational model directly contributed to strengthening community trust in official charities. The statistical report for the past decade revealed figures reflecting the scale of the achievement, with the program exceeding 50 million riyals in total expenditures, benefiting 131,000 families and distributing over 11,445 tons of rice, while adhering to the legally mandated distribution timeline at a rate of 100%.
The importance of this unified project lies in its ability to overcome the logistical challenges that associations might face when working individually. Through this unified approach, the quality of aid is ensured, standards are standardized, and precise geographical distribution prevents duplication and guarantees coverage for all needy families in the Eastern Province governorates. This strengthens social solidarity and preserves the dignity of beneficiaries during times of giving.
At the conclusion of the reception, Engineer Abu Abah expressed his thanks and gratitude to His Highness the Prince of the Eastern Province for his unlimited support and continuous follow-up on the smallest details of the program, stressing that His Highness’s directives were the main motivation behind the successive successes achieved by the program over the past ten years, which made it a model to be emulated in organized charitable work.
