06 Dec 2024
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has surpassed its Vision 2030 target of 1 million volunteers six years ahead of schedule, according to the CEO of the National Center for Non-Profit Sector.
Speaking to Arab News on the sidelines on the fourth day of COP16, Ahmed Al-Suwailem explained that the Kingdom’s volunteering journey achieved the target just prior to the end of 2024.
This falls in line with promoting the concept of volunteering and community participation in Saudi Arabia.
“Today, we are celebrating the biggest achievement that we did in terms of volunteering. Of course, I will start with my thanks and gratitude to his majesty, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and also his Crown Prince, the Prime Minister, Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, for their unbelievable effort and support, for us, and they enabled us to achieve, this amazing target of 1 million volunteers, 1 million per annum,” Al-Suwailem said.
He added: “Absolutely, we have achieved the target earlier than we were supposed to achieve it, or 2030. We achieved it just before the end of 2024. We have achieved 1 million, as I said, per annum. We were supposed to achieve it in 2030.”
He added: “We are going for a further target and we are now reviewing the target again, and we’ll see what we will achieve in 2030.”
With regards to achieving the target, Al-Suwailem said: “We couldn’t achieve that unless we have this amazing, unbelievable, continuous support from our leadership and also with an enablement from our people,” he said.
He added that the public’s volunteer support is evident in their efforts, thoughts, and shared experiences.
“We are trying our best to send our message as the people of Saudi Arabia, that we are global citizens, that we can also do our volunteering internally and internationally,” he added.
The CEO also highlighted how this achievement will support the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, underlining that volunteering will play a key role in helping the company meet the objectives of the Saudi Green Initiative. The undertaking aims to diversify the economy, reduce oil dependency, and promote sustainable development.
He added: “So, this is where we complete each other as governmental entities and also private sector and the nonprofit sector.”
The CEO concluded by saying: “And of course, last but not least, people are the key element for achieving all these targets.”
The Kingdom’s hosting of COP16 reflects its commitment to protecting the planet. In the largest multilateral conference it has ever hosted, Saudi Arabia is mobilizing the world to deliver international cooperation, change, and action that our land so desperately needs.