Jeddah, Asharq Al-Awsat-Participants of the first meeting for charity associations had called for the adoption of major reforms in the financial structures of these organizations. They called for the sensible management of financial resources, revenues and investment within a legitimate framework that could lead to the development of charities in Saudi Arabia.

During the meeting that was held recently in Jeddah in cooperation with the ministry of social affairs, participants had emphasized the importance of constant supervision of charities as an important and effective systematic and administrative tool.

Ibrahim Al Sabeel, a Saudi accountant, illustrated the importance of planning as a tool for supervision and making sound judgments. In his speech, he mentioned also the estimates of public expenditure and sales, and how to monitor and manage these financial resources.

Ihsan Tayeb, general manager of social affairs in the Mecca region, said that the increase in the number of charities in Saudi Arabia requires the development of new methods to keep up with the expansion in services provided by charity organizations. These new methods must retain the revenues of the charities to ensure their effectiveness and commitment to their responsibilities in different parts of society.

During the recent meeting that concluded in Jeddah, participants highlighted the importance in developing the administration staff in all associations and the running of workshops and departmental meetings. These would be considered an investment in human resources that should lead to the development of charitable activity in Saudi Arabia. The participants asserted that the concept of societal participation through the administrations of these associations, the ministry and the private sector, is endorsed to sponsor this orientation and define the weak points of operation of associations. Furthermore, they highlighted the necessity of meetings between association members and officials of the ministry to clarify the problems that they face and to spread this experience to other areas in Saudi Arabia.

The ministry of social affairs held the meeting in cooperation with the private sector. The meeting had lasted for three days in Jeddah and included a large number social workers and employers of charities.

After the September 11 attacks, a lot of pressure had been exerted on charities regarding sources of finance. This eventually led to the shifting of many associations activities to within the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, whereas many violations have been recorded and attributed to a huge number of these associations.