Amid the major national transformations witnessed by the Kingdom, Saudi women have emerged as key partners in development and makers of impact in the non-profit sector, driven by an ambitious vision that reshapes the role of society and opens broad horizons for volunteer work, social innovation, and empowering the most needy groups.

Vision 2030 met the passion of Saudi women, resulting in a growing presence in leadership, an expansion of professional roles, and a qualitative shift in the nature of initiatives they lead; today, women have become a pivotal element in building a more aware, cohesive, and sustainable society.

National Transformations and the Role of Women in the Non-Profit Sector:

The non-profit sector in the Kingdom has witnessed unprecedented growth in recent years, driven by national transformation programs and direct support from the wise leadership. According to the report of the National Center for Non-Profit Sector Development for 2025, issued today, June 30, the number of non-profit organizations increased by more than 341% compared to previous years, reaching 7,200 organizations by the end of 2025. The number of specialized organizations supporting national priorities rose to 5,495, a rate of 96.8%. The sector's contribution to GDP reached 1.40%, with a value of approximately 66 billion riyals, along with an expansion of its workforce, which now numbers 141,432 compared to no more than 19,200 in 2017, enhancing its sustainability and ability to achieve tangible developmental impact.

The number of volunteers exceeded 1.7 million during the same year, while the economic value of volunteering per individual per day reached about 305 riyals, after being no more than 4 riyals in 2018. The number of volunteer opportunities available to the Kingdom's residents rose to approximately 552,000 opportunities, compared to only 43,000 opportunities in 2018. The total volunteer hours exceeded 80 million hours, according to the annual report of Saudi Vision 2030 for 2024. Meanwhile, the number of volunteers serving the Guests of the Most Merciful (pilgrims) exceeded approximately 184,000 volunteers in 2025, compared to 2024, a growth rate of 20%, reflecting a clear operational shift in harnessing energies and directing them in the field according to the highest standards.

In terms of directing resources toward impact, developmental spending as part of the total spending of the non-profit sector rose to 6.1 billion riyals, compared to about 1.6 billion riyals in 2017, confirming the growth in efficiency of directing resources toward higher-return developmental programs. In terms of service quality and beneficiary experience, indicators show that the satisfaction rate of beneficiaries of non-profit organizations' services reached nearly 90%, compared to the baseline of 73% in 2019, a development that reflects the impact of work on governance, improving operational efficiency, raising quality levels, and enhancing transparency.

In this regard, the Executive Director of the Learning Difficulties Association, Dr. Firdous Jibril Falatah, told the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) that this growth has directly reflected on women's participation, as they have become an integral part of the development work system, whether in leadership, implementation, or volunteering. Women's initiatives have diversified between educational and awareness programs, support for people with disabilities, economic empowerment of productive families, health and preventive initiatives, cultural and heritage preservation initiatives, and childhood and family programs.

The importance of this presence is not limited to the size of participation but extends to building what is known as social capital; that is, enhancing trust, cooperation, and solidarity among members of society, which is one of the main indicators of sustainable development and quality of life.

Women's Presence in the Non-Profit Sector in Recent Years:

The Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of the Women's Committee for Community Development in the Riyadh Region, Her Highness Princess Noura bint Mohammed bin Saud, affirmed to SPA that attention to women in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a strategic principle deeply rooted in the state's approach since its establishment. She explained that from the beginning, the Saudi leadership—may God support them—believed that the nation's renaissance and prosperity can only be achieved through the participation of all its sons and daughters in the process of construction and development. She pointed out that those following the movement of women's participation in the non-profit sector will notice that within the framework of Vision 2030, women's presence in this sector has shifted from being mostly beneficiaries of its welfare programs to significantly contributing to directing the sector toward achieving sustainability requirements, and transferring its programs from welfare practices to practices that enable financial sustainability.

She emphasized that this change in the sector's characteristic from welfare to sustainable has opened the door for women to actively participate in enabling its initiatives, programs, and projects. This is reflected in the numbers that show women's contribution in this sector through various fields, whether in endowments, charitable work, humanitarian work, relief work, social responsibility, or volunteering. She noted that women's participation in this field has helped direct the course of endowments to assist the non-profit sector in contributing to supporting the national output, which, according to the Kingdom's Vision report issued in 2025, reached 1.4%.

Women's Leadership and Decision-Making:

Data from the National Observatory for Women showed that the women's participation in development index reached 73 points in 2023, with a significant rise in the economic axis (59 points) and social axis (80 points), reflecting the expansion of their presence in developmental sectors, including the non-profit sector.

Reports from the National Center indicate that the percentage of specialized organizations supporting developmental priorities reached 92%, an environment that provided women with greater opportunities to assume leadership positions, whether on boards of directors or in managing programs and initiatives.

In this regard, Her Highness Princess Noura bint Mohammed affirmed that women's participation in managing and leading non-profit organizations is witnessing a steady increase in the number of female leaders, as the percentage of women's participation in leadership positions in developmental institutions has jumped thanks to national empowerment programs and the goals of Vision 2030 to enhance women's role in sustainable development.

Meanwhile, Advisor to the Vice President of King Saud University for Projects, Dr. Malak Yahya Qattan, told SPA that what has been achieved during women's journey in the past decade has surpassed the traditional concept of empowerment to a more mature and impactful stage represented in making an impact and leading transformation. She explained that the non-profit sector represents one of the most prominent models embodying this transformation, as Saudi women have moved from roles of implementation and participation to roles of leadership, planning, and decision-making.

She said that the sector has witnessed a remarkable growth in the number of female leaders within associations, civil institutions, and endowment entities, whether on boards of directors, executive management, or specialized committees. She noted the existence of pioneering national institutions in preparing a new generation of female leaders capable of managing developmental initiatives and strategic projects and innovating sustainable solutions to societal challenges, including Al-Nahda Association, Alwaleed Philanthropies, Misk Foundation, and others.