Non-Profit Sector in Saudi Arabia Witnesses Rapid Growth in Early 2024

16:38-3 March 2024 AD ـ 23 Sha’ban 1445 AH

Non-Profit Sector in Saudi Arabia Witnesses Rapid Growth in Early 2024

The National Center for the Development of the Non-Profit Sector in Saudi Arabia announced on Sunday the latest developments in the growth of the non-profit sector for February 2024.

The sector witnessed the registration of 56 private associations, eight private institutions, and 21 family funds in various priority development areas and several regions across the Kingdom.

The total number of registered non-profit entities in the Kingdom is now 4,656. The number of volunteers in 2024 has also reached over 113,000 in various fields, with over 4 million volunteer hours and 43,000 volunteer opportunities.

The center highlighted the continuous growth of the non-profit sector in terms of the number of non-profit entities, the number of volunteers, and the increase in the number of technical supervisory units in government agencies.

The center pointed to the progress achieved through the collaboration of all entities in the non-profit sector system and the development observed in the governance of non-profit entities, which achieved advanced levels of governance in 2023. This confirms the commitment of the sector's entities to comply with the targeted development roles.

As part of its supervisory and regulatory role, the center has issued decisions against several non-profit entities and individuals since the beginning of 2024. They included 11 warnings to civil associations, two decisions to dismiss the board of directors of a civil association, two decisions to reform the interim board of directors, the dissolution of two civil associations, and the start of their liquidation, and the referral of four civil associations to the Public Prosecution.

The center emphasizes the importance of non-profit entities' commitment to the rules and regulations, guidelines, and procedures governing the non-profit sector. It invites all non-profit entities to communicate through customer care channels via the unified call center 19918, its website, and its social media accounts.

The center stresses the need for integration between it and non-profit entities to contribute to the development of the non-profit sector and maximize the social and economic impact of the sector to achieve the desired national goals.

The National Center for the Development of the Non-Profit Sector aims to organize and activate the role of non-profit sector entities, expand them in development areas, and work on integrating government efforts in providing licensing services to these entities, financial and administrative supervision of the sector, and increasing coordination and support.

Business

Fire, Smoke Upend Western Canada’s Summer Tourism Season

A helicopter works a forest fire outside of Jasper, Alberta, Canada, on Friday July 26, 2024. (Reuters)

11:17-27 July 2024 AD ـ 21 Muharram 1446 AH

Fire, Smoke Upend Western Canada’s Summer Tourism Season

A helicopter works a forest fire outside of Jasper, Alberta, Canada, on Friday July 26, 2024. (Reuters)

Severe wildfire seasons are increasingly hurting western Canada's lucrative tourism industry, with some visitors beginning to avoid the busy late-summer months due to concerns about uncontrolled blazes, smoke-filled skies and road closures.

After a scorching start to July, nearly 600 wildfires are now ablaze across British Columbia and Alberta, including a huge fire that this week devastated the picturesque tourist town of Jasper in the Canadian Rockies.

Dozens of communities, including popular holiday spots in British Columbia's Kootenay region, are under evacuation orders and several highways are closed.

This year's surge in wildfire activity comes after Canada endured its worst-ever year for wildfires in 2023, when more than 15 million hectares (37 million acres) burned, including parts of the city of West Kelowna in the heart of British Columbia's wine region.

Ellen Walker-Matthews, head of the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association, said the industry was seeing a lot more last-minute travel decisions instead of booking in advance.

"It's a huge blow. July and August are traditionally the busiest months in the region," said Walker-Matthews, adding that while her region has been relatively unscathed by wildfires this summer, some visitors are choosing to avoid interior British Columbia altogether.

The members of the British Columbia Lodging and Campgrounds Association are reporting a 5-15% drop in bookings from a year ago, with the biggest declines coming from the hotter Okanagan and Cariboo regions, said Joss Penny, who heads the association.

"The concern is that this is something we have to live with and we have it every year now," said Penny.

Although wildfires in Canada's forests are natural and common, scientists say drier, hotter conditions fueled by climate change are leading to more volatile and frequent blazes.

'SMOKEY SKIES'

Some events, like the Salmon Arm Roots and Blues Festival, usually held in August, have now been rescheduled to earlier in the summer to avoid what is now seen as peak smoke season. The festival, which was cancelled last year due to nearby wildfires, was this year moved to July to benefit from "less smokey skies."

Wildfires and extreme climatic events are prompting tourists to "change their plans not just temporarily, but permanently," said Elizabeth Halpenny, a tourism researcher and professor at the University of Alberta, noting that seasonal workers in the sector are often the hardest hit as they have few protections during a bad season or amid a cataclysmic fire.

Tourism contributed C$7.2 billion to the British Columbia economy in 2022, and C$9.9 billion to Alberta in 2023, according to the latest government data.

Jasper National Park is one of Canada's premier tourist destinations, with more than 2 million visitors a year flocking to see its pristine mountain landscapes and abundant wildlife, including grizzly bears, moose and elk.

Kelly Torrens, vice-president of product at international tour company Kensington Tours, described western Canada as a bucket-list destination. But the company now has 49 trips that were supposed to pass through Jasper this season in limbo. Six others were forced to evacuate the park when the fire hit.

Parks Canada has cancelled all camping reservations within Jasper National Park until Aug. 6 and with potentially 50% of the town's structures destroyed by fire, the cleanup and rebuild could take years.

Halpenny is among those hedging their bets.

"I've booked a campsite stay in the mountain parks but at the same time, I booked a campsite out on the prairie somewhere and that's my backup plan because I don't want to miss out on my vacation with my family."

Non-Profit Sector in Saudi Arabia Witnesses Rapid Growth in Early 2024