Jeddah Hilton hosted today the launch of the first forum for charitable associations across Makkah region's governorates and villages, held under the theme "For Better Sustainability," with broad participation from government bodies, nonprofit organizations and digital service providers. The forum aimed to strengthen financial sustainability, improve the efficiency of charitable associations, support digital transformation, and develop human capital while raising standards of governance and institutional communication.

Key Themes and Major Agreements

The forum featured in-depth discussion sessions addressing the challenges facing charitable associations in rural and village areas, alongside a review of successful global experiences in achieving sustainable development. A number of strategic partnership agreements were signed, including:

  • Establishing 30 resource-development units to provide associations with sustainable income sources.
  • Training 5,000 students and qualifying 30 managers to professional standards over three years.
  • Developing the digital infrastructure of 125 associations to improve operational efficiency.
  • Providing a grant worth 50,000 riyals to support associations' technical qualification.

Forum Outcomes and Recommendations

The forum concluded with a set of recommendations aimed at strengthening sustainability and improving performance, most notably:

  1. Supporting 80 associations in training and qualification.
  2. Improving the technological infrastructure of 100 associations.
  3. Securing the operational sustainability of 50 associations.
  4. Establishing resource-development units in 30 associations to provide permanent income sources.
  5. Raising the number of insured associations to 75 by next year.
  6. Providing 10 mobile training academies to cover rural associations.
  7. Establishing 5 online platforms for knowledge transfer and capacity building.
  8. Training an additional 200 volunteers through specialized programs.

Raising Community Awareness

The forum recommended launching an annual exhibition featuring 200 associations to showcase their achievements and projects, alongside establishing 3 regional technical support centers to provide technical and administrative consulting. It also proposed cooperating with 10 media outlets to expand coverage of associations' activities, and funding 50 innovative projects focused on environmental and economic development.

The forum represents a pivotal step toward strengthening the role of charitable associations and ensuring their sustainability in line with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030, improving quality of life across Makkah region's governorates and villages.