New Saudi Rules Reshape Fundraising Advertising

Saudi authorities have introduced new executive regulations governing how fundraising campaigns can be advertised in the Kingdom, setting clear licensing, transparency, and content requirements for any donation drive promoted to the public.

Under the new rules, fundraising campaigns may only be advertised by a licensed entity. That entity must hold a fundraising licence from the competent authority — the body overseeing charities for general donations, or the General Authority for Awqaf for endowments — along with prior approval for the specific campaign and its media activity. Licensed bodies must also meet governance requirements and submit a detailed plan of the campaign's objectives and costs.

Calls for donations are limited to approved channels. These include local media, local telecom operators (such as SMS short codes under specific instructions), billboards and service bills, publications produced by the licensed entity where its bylaws allow, and social media, websites, and other approved electronic applications.

What campaigns must and must not do

Licensed entities are barred from collecting donations outside their approved objectives, receiving cash except through direct deposit into approved bank accounts, or accepting donations from outside Saudi Arabia without explicit approval. They also may not print or distribute fundraising publications unless their bylaws permit it.

Every fundraising advertisement must now display mandatory details, including the campaign licence number, the approved bank account and bank name, the office address and contact details, the purpose of the fundraising and disbursement conditions, and the percentage of operational and administrative expenses from the target amount. Endowment campaigns must also carry the logo of the General Authority for Awqaf.

The regulations set strict content standards as well: no misleading or exaggerated claims, no phrases promising guaranteed worldly or religious rewards, no misuse of religious texts, no content that damages the reputation of charitable work, and no exploitation of donors' emotions through excessive or begging-like appeals.

For residents and donors, the changes mean greater clarity on where their money goes and easier verification of whether a campaign is genuinely licensed before giving.

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