Middle East and North Africa
Saudi Arabia.
Vision 2030 sets a national volunteering target, supported by a National Volunteer Platform run by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development. A 2015 Law on Associations and Foundations, effective March 2016, provides the framework for charitable organizations, and the national Ihsan donation platform was launched in March 2021. A general statutory duty to help a stranger could not be verified beyond traffic accident drivers.
Is there a legal duty to help a stranger?
LimitedA reference article states that the Traffic Law requires a driver involved in an accident to stop, report it and assist those injured, with penalties for failure. The article number was not verified, and no general duty for bystanders was found.
Are people who help protected?
None foundNo law giving protection to people who help strangers in good faith was found in the sources reviewed.
How the government promotes giving and service
Ways to give and volunteer
Charity in Saudi Arabia is highly regulated: fundraising and nonprofit work need government authorization, and giving is encouraged through official licensed platforms. The one thing to know first: donate only through authorized channels such as the national Ehsan platform.
Check a charity before you give
The government body that licenses and oversees nonprofits, where you can check whether a nonprofit is authorized.
Give your time
Give money, blood or a donation
In an emergency or a crisis
Before you act
- Collecting money without government authorization is not allowed, so never give cash to unofficial collectors or to personal accounts and use only licensed platforms. Fake appeals circulate on social media and messaging apps, so check any group with the NCNP first. Foreign visitors and residents should volunteer or donate only through official channels and check the rules first.
This list covers only official, licensed channels and does not cover informal or private giving. Checked 2026-10-28. Listing an organization is not an endorsement, and none of them has endorsed this site. Some official sites block automatic checks, so a link may need a second try.
One thing worth knowing
The National Volunteer Platform and an annual volunteer day with an award are run by the ministry as stated steps toward a numeric Vision 2030 volunteering goal.
What this does not mean
Official statute texts (Bureau of Experts) were not read; the laws are described from secondary sources, and the Vision 2030 portal blocked automated access. Reports of targets met come from single statements. Not legal advice. This is a plain-language summary of public sources, not legal advice, and it does not rank countries. No government named here has endorsed this site. Not reviewed by a lawyer. Statutes were read in public sources and may have changed. Last checked October 26, 2026.