Twenty charities have been closed in the Eastern Province due to violations, an official at the Ministry of Social Affairs said.

He stated that 70 percent of these charities were raising funds through unauthorized outlets. The official said the Ministry of Interior had issued clear directives about banning unauthorized outlets from raising funds and donations for charities. He added that the ministry had advised these illegal charities to correct their status in line with the official guidelines.

The official who preferred anonymity said that the ministry had called for the closure of more than 300 societies for Qur’an memorization across the Kingdom. “Not only do these charities practice unauthorized and unlicensed activities, but they also raise funds illegally in addition to the limited financial resources available to them,” he said. He urged the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Call and Guidance to bear the costs of the workers’ salaries at Qur’an memorization societies and to support the licensed ones so that they could continue to benefit the society.

He added that there are daily inspection tours on these societies and memorization centers and any irregularities are registered promptly.

The official pointed to the ministry’s delay in issuing rules to regulate fund raising and donations, which he said the social committee at the Shoura Council is still considering since 2012. He said that the need of the hour was for the development of clear guidelines to enable the functioning of charities in the Kingdom, the type of licensed activities and other related issues.