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DUNECREST STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT LTD

Saudi Arabia’s volunteer movement has accelerated toward Vision 2030, hitting milestones ahead of schedule

2015

Vision 2030 announced, setting goal of 1 million annual volunteers

Voluntary Service Law drafted, nonprofit incentives established

2018

2020

National Volunteer Portal launched

680,000+ volunteers, logging 40m hours and 65m beneficiaries

2022

2024

>1 million volunteers, solidifying KSA as a regional leader

10-year timeline for volunteering in KSA

Vision 2030 KPI reached

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There are now more volunteering opportunities, volunteers, and volunteer hours to create social impact

Number of volunteer opportunities

Number of volunteer hours

Number of volunteers

Target

510,000

55,000,000

850,000

Achieved

542,622

80,117,736

with repetition 3,922,353

Unique 1,237,713

Source: The National Volunteer Platform Statistics for 2024

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Despite this growth in numbers, there is still a need to strengthen how volunteering is done to deepen its impact

Volunteers

Host Organizations

When volunteers don’t meet professional standards, quality drops and efficiency suffers

When organisations don’t invest in volunteers,

career growth and skills development stall

Without this, volunteering risks being more of a cost than a benefit to all parties involved

Ways in which volunteers and host organizations are not maximizing mutual benefits

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Vocational volunteering has the potential to provide the most strategic, long-term value

The Weekend Warrior

Completes simple, one-off tasks digitally or in-person

The Skilled Contributor

Offers targeted support in a limited, defined engagement

The Committed Heart

Provides crucial, reliable time for operational needs

The Strategic

Partner

Lends time and energy to create lasting impact

General skills

Professional skills

Low

Commitment

High Commitment

Highest Potential

Volunteer archetypes (non-exhaustive)

Volunteers

Host

Organizations

4-8% increases in wages

78% of organizations report improved service delivery

Source: OECD, Volunteering Benefits, 2025; Singapore National Council of Society Services, Survey on Volunteer Management, 2021

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In the health sector for example, volunteerism is generating high interest from the population

Source: Health Volunteering Platform statistics

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2. Insights from field experience

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Over the past decade, Ghadan has played a transformative role in shaping Saudi Arabia’s volunteer ecosystem.�Since its founding, Ghadan has designed national strategies, built platforms, trained leaders, and institutionalized volunteer units across ministries, universities, and corporations.

Key milestones include:

Launching the National Volunteer Portal (2020) — the first unified digital system for volunteer management
Developing the Saudi National Standard for Voluntary Work (Edama, 2015)
Establishing volunteer units in universities and ministries
Leading the Pilgrim Experience Program and Ezwa Community Volunteer Program (2023)
Creating the Private Sector Volunteering Standard (2023–2024)
Through these initiatives, Ghadan has moved volunteerism from spontaneous acts to structured, high-impact participation, positioning Saudi Arabia as a regional leader in professional and skill-based volunteering aligned with Vision 2030

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DUNECREST STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT LTD

Saudi Arabia has built a strong foundation for organized, data-driven, and cross-sector volunteer engagement

National Volunteer Portal

Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development

National Center for Non-Profit Sector

Voluntary Work Law

Ghadan

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“Volunteer Your Expertise” is an initiative that allows community members to benefit from the knowledge and experience of ministers and senior leaders from both the public and private sectors

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Illustration of initiative: “Volunteer Your Expertise”

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Case study: Pro Bono Volunteerism Project between Ghadan and the National Center for Nonprofit Sector

The Pro Bono Volunteerism Project was launched by the National Center for Non-Profit Sector (NCNP) to establish a national framework for professional and skills-based volunteering. Implemented in partnership with Ghadan Capacity Building Company, the project enabled professionals from different sectors to contribute their expertise to nonprofit organizations through advisory, technical, and strategic volunteer roles

Challenge

Approach

Impact

The nonprofit sector in Saudi Arabia had limited access to professional expertise due to funding and resource constraints. Many organizations lacked specialized support in management, finance, communication, and digital transformation — reducing their institutional efficiency and sustainability.

The project introduced a national Pro Bono volunteering model that connects skilled professionals with nonprofit organizations based on real operational needs.

Key interventions included:

Developing national guides and tools for professional volunteering
Creating a Pro Bono Opportunity Bank to match experts with NPOs
Delivering training workshops for volunteer coordinators
Launching digital systems to document, monitor, and evaluate volunteer impact

1,215 Pro Bono opportunities implemented nationwide
1,000+ professional volunteers engaged across 191 organizations
629,205 volunteer hours contributing to an estimated economic value of SAR 1.8 million
98% satisfaction rate among beneficiary organizations
Institutional adoption of Pro Bono practices across sectors

DUNECREST STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT LTD

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Case study: “Ezwa initiative”, community-led volunteerism in Saudi Arabia

The Ezwa initiative, launched under Saudi Vision 2030, is a pioneering initiative led by the Riyadh Municipality in partnership with Ghadan Capacity Building Company. It empowers citizens to design, lead, and sustain community initiatives across Saudi neighborhoods, promoting civic engagement, social cohesion, and shared responsibility.

Challenge

Approach

Impact

Local volunteering in Saudi Arabia was previously fragmented and short-term, with limited opportunities for citizens to co-create and manage projects aligned with local needs.

Ezwa introduced a structured community-volunteering model that enables citizens to:

Co-design neighborhood initiatives with municipal authorities.
Receive leadership and project management training.
Use digital dashboards to track progress and measure local impact.
Build sustainable partnerships between citizens, municipalities, and nonprofits

Over 20 municipalities activated community volunteer groups.
More than 15,000 volunteers engaged in 1,200+ local initiatives
Improved environmental quality, civic participation, and youth leadership
Recognized as a national model for bottom-up, citizen-led volunteering

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3. Innovative approaches and applications

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What if we fundamentally changed the way we think about volunteering? What if we redefined volunteering as a force for national development and community empowerment?

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Traditional thinking

Transformative thinking

Invested stakeholders who share ownership and accountability for long-term impact

Strategic participants integrated into planning and execution for better outcomes

Co-creating partners who offer real expertise and can help achieve organizational and social goals

“Charity” cases who are engaged

purely to benefit the volunteers

Flexible, low-cost resources to be

deployed for simple, variable tasks

Well-intentioned helpers motivated

primarily by sympathy for a cause

A transformative way of thinking about volunteers positions volunteers as partners, participants, stakeholders

Volunteering as a tool for community impact, cohesion and civic development

Volunteering as a pathway for workforce development

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INSTEAD OF

viewing a retired engineer as

just a committed mentor,

ORGANIZATIONS COULD

recognize them as a stakeholder by

giving them ownership to pilot and scale

a new water conservation project in local mosques

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INSTEAD OF

tasking volunteer university students with

just painting a school wall

ORGANIZATIONS COULD

engage them as participants

in a "Design Thinking" workshop to co-create

the mural's theme around national heritage

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INSTEAD OF

using healthcare students only to support

patients being welcomed as they arrive at hospital

ORGANIZATIONS COULD

Enable them to design and lead

local community programs, to support patients

with condition management

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INSTEAD OF

using medical volunteers only to

distribute pamphlets at a health fair

ORGANIZATIONS COULD

seat them as partners on

a community health council to

design the fair's preventative screening program

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INSTEAD OF

using university students only to

volunteer within KSA

ORGANIZATIONS COULD

develop their skills as young global leaders

by supporting community projects

in Arab communities overseas

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This shift would involve developing a new system that simultaneously empowers and holds volunteers accountable

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1. Formal Decision-Making Power

Integrate them into decision-making teams with voting power

2. Role-Based Autonomy & Ownership

Grant ownership of projects matched to their professional skills

3. Personal

Impact

Data

Provide them with real-time data to see their contribution to goals

4. Structured

Leadership Tracks

Create clear pathways that turn contribution into career development

5. Value-

Based Recognition

Reward them for outcomes achieved, not just hours volunteered

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For example, when volunteers joined school councils in India, classrooms hired better teachers and children learned more

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1. Formal Decision-Making Power

Action

Parents and community members joined School Management Committees (SMCs)
SMCs helped oversee teacher attendance and resource planning

School Management Committees (India)

Impact

20% increase in student attendance
9-17% more qualified teachers
Improvements in foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) skills for children

Source: Education for All in India, Role and Impact of SMCs, 2025; Ideas for India, Female Representation in School Management, 2022

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In Thailand, empowering volunteers to lead cleanups has turned waste into community pride and social impact

2. Role-Based Autonomy & Ownership

Action

Volunteers led weekly cleanup events in their own communities.
Designed and ran refill & recycling programs for local adoption

Trash Hero (Thailand and Global)

Impact

23,000+ cleanups and 550,000+ volunteers mobilized
2.5+ million kg of trash removed globally

Source: Trash Hero company website, accessed 2025

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In Europe, empowering young volunteers with micro grants has led to new community projects

2. Role-Based Autonomy & Ownership

Action

Grant scheme enabling volunteers to develop their own community initiatives
Contains structured volunteering placements, and volunteer led opportunities

European Solidarity Corps (EU)

Impact

70,000 participants 2021-2027
83% of participants improve personal and professional development
71% feel more connected to the European community
91% of participants felt more capable of improving to their community

Source: ESC resouce centre website, accessed 2025

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Across the world, using volunteers to track litter has enabled governments to make evidence-based policies

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3. Personal Impact Data

Action

Volunteers used a mobile app to photograph and tag litter by brand/type.
Shared data with city governments and companies to inform policies

Litterati, Civic Tech (USA, UK, East Africa)

Impact

Generated USD 4 million in government budget for clean-ups
Drove new policies for recycling and waste-reduction in multiple cities

Source: Litterati company website, accessed 2025; Rubio, Litterati portfolio, accessed 2025

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Military veterans volunteering with crisis-response teams helped scale relief efforts and vaccination delivery

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4. Structured Leadership Tracks

Action

Organization is military veteran-led , partnering with local governments
Built a tiered leadership program to elevate volunteers into team leaders

Team Rubicon (USA)

Impact

Utilized >USD 6 million worth of volunteer hours in 2024 alone
Conducted almost 90 operations, serving ~3 million people
Delivered almost 500,000 of COVID-19 vaccine during the pandemic

Source: Team Rubicon company website, 2024; Team Rubicon, Vaccination Efforts, 2021

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Recognising volunteers with real career pathways builds loyalty and long-term impact

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5. Value-Based Recognition

Action

Introduced a formal certification
Offered leadership training and awards to highlight contributors
Used public recognition and career-linked credentials to motivate individuals

Global Volunteer Recognition Program (International)

Impact

8 partner organizations and ~40,000 volunteer hours certified
3x membership growth and 4x certified volunteer hours annually

Source: GVRP company website, accessed 2025

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Recognizing the skills volunteers develop through international volunteering

DUNECREST STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT LTD

5. Value-Based Recognition

Action

Recognition tool for non-formal & informal learning acquired in international youth volunteering projects
Supports volunteers to identify and demonstrate transferable soft skills to employers.

Youth Pass, Erasmus+

(Europe)

Impact

Over 2 million certificates issued via issued 10,000 organizations
Up to 80% of certificate holders believe it enhances employability

Source: Youthpass resource centre website, accessed 2025

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4. Moving forward

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Redefining volunteering through a new model impact the broader organizational strategy

Manpower organisation

Workforce planning shifts�Volunteers become a planned part of the workforce, with defined roles, skills and expectations – not just ad-hoc extra capacity
New leadership and coordination roles�Organisations need dedicated volunteer leads and to train managers to supervise, coach and appraise volunteers

Systems and technology

More inclusive governance and decision-making�Volunteers sit on boards, committees and project teams, with clear mandates reflecting their role as stakeholders
Stronger processes for autonomy

Clearer policies on delegation, safeguarding, quality and accountability underpin empowered volunteer-led work

Upgraded technology and data systems�Volunteer platforms link with HR, L&D and project tools, tracking skills, outcomes and impact – not just hours

Strategy and governance

Strategy: volunteering becomes a core lever�Volunteering is built into strategy, KPIs and reporting, tied to service quality, innovation, talent and efficiency
Early adopters gain a talent and impact edge�Organisations that invest early attract more talent, adapt faster and deliver stronger, visible social impact

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Organizations that are willing to invest in these changes will take another step towards sustainable, long-term growth

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Talent pipeline

Volunteers build future-ready skills, strengthening organisational talent pipelines

Operational agility

A responsive workforce that proactively adapts to market shifts and challenges

Customer satisfaction

Enhance service quality and overall end-user satisfaction outcomes

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More broadly, a stronger volunteer ecosystem can drive nation-building and accelerate Vision 2030 goals

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Human Capital Development

Builds skilled citizens who contribute to Vision 2030 workforce needs

Social

Cohesion

Strengthens unity, civic pride, and shared responsibility across the nation

National

Resilience

Mobilises people to adapt, recover, and thrive in future challenges

Vision 2030 objectives

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Take the first step in empowering volunteers to drive change and raise quality

INVEST IN VOLUNTEERING

unlock national talent,

drive Vision 2030, and

strengthen our society

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Conclusion

�Saudi Arabia is ready to lead the region in redefining volunteering as a strategic national asset.�By aligning empowerment, leadership, and accountability, volunteering can evolve into a core driver of human capital, innovation, and social resilience.

Investing in volunteerism means investing in people, purpose, and progress — the foundation of Vision 2030.

DUNECREST STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT LTD

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DUNECREST STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT LTD�(Company Registration Number 16040684)��4^th Floor

205 Regent Street�London W1B 4HB�United Kingdom��Tel: +44 73 6648 7110�Email: ask@dunecrest.uk

Website: dunecrest.uk

Dunecrest Foresight

Contributed by:

Datuk Eddie Razak

Frederic Schmidt

Georges Nammour

Gideon Lim

Lynn Alwan

Dan Moxon

Ondřej Bárta

GHADAN FOR EDUCATIONAL CONSULTING & CAPACITY BUILDING�(Company Registration Number 7009430120)

�King Abdulaziz University,

Jeddah

Saudia Arabia

22252

��Tel: +966 12 657 08 48

Email: info@ghadan.sa

Website: www.ghadan.sa

PEOPLE DIALOGUE AND CHANGE LTD�(Company Registration Number 8483913)�

26 Cross Street

Macclesfield SK11 7PG

United Kingdom

+447412551720

info@peopledialoguechange.org