Transforming the city's endowment farms into investment destinations: A new roadmap
In a first-of-its-kind move to enhance the sustainability of the non-profit sector, the scientific committee of the "Endowment Farms" symposium, hosted by Madinah, launched a comprehensive roadmap aimed at fundamentally transforming the concept and operational mechanisms of agricultural endowments in Saudi Arabia. The roadmap includes a set of strategic recommendations focused on the legislative and investment restructuring of this vital sector.
Historical depth and strategic importance
This initiative derives its paramount importance from its starting point: Medina, the cradle of Islamic endowments throughout history, beginning with those established by the Companions of the Prophet (may God be pleased with them). This is not merely about agricultural land, but about a centuries-old cultural heritage that now faces challenges requiring modern solutions to ensure its continuity and growth. This movement comes at a time of increasing global and local concern for food security, making the development of endowment farms an urgent necessity, not a luxury, to bolster the Kingdom's strategic food reserves.
Strict governance and legislative reform
The Scientific Committee prioritized the need for a qualitative shift in the legislative and regulatory frameworks governing the operation of endowment farms to keep pace with modern economic changes. The recommendations emphasized the imperative of adopting rigorous financial and administrative governance models that guarantee the highest standards of efficiency and transparency in managing these vital assets, thereby ensuring the protection of endowment properties and maximizing their returns.
Innovation and smart partnerships
The participating experts called for a shift away from traditional investment models towards diversifying funding sources and strengthening strategic partnerships between the endowment sector and the public and private sectors. The committee urged the utilization of scientific research outputs and smart agricultural technologies to boost productivity, asserting that innovation is the key to ensuring the sustainability of agricultural endowments in the face of water scarcity and climate change challenges.
Agricultural tourism: A new concept of endowment
In a move to unify efforts, the recommendations proposed establishing a comprehensive national platform to serve as a bridge connecting donors and trustees with research centers and investment sectors to launch joint projects. The committee also directed the development of specialized national guidelines for managing "endowment tourism farms," including innovative marketing mechanisms and precise indicators to measure the developmental impact of this new model, thus opening avenues for integrating ecotourism with charitable work.
Alignment with the Kingdom's Vision 2030
These initiatives are fully aligned with the goals of the Kingdom's Vision 2030, which aims to increase the non-profit sector's contribution to the GDP to 5%, in addition to achieving sustainable food security. The event was attended by a distinguished group of dignitaries and decision-makers, and gained significant credibility, particularly after the Islamic University's endowments were recently awarded the Princess Seetah bint Abdulaziz Award for Excellence for their pioneering initiative in this field.
