The Ministry of Social Affairs is investigating employees of social and charitable associations who are spreading photography and videos that document the delivery of financial or in-kind subsidies to beneficiaries, without taking into account existing controls and requirements designed to preserve the dignity of beneficiaries. The ministry has said that it plans to review official regulations related to the work of these associations and organizations to determine whether there are provisions that permit the use and publishing of such photos on social networking sites.

The Ministry’s comments came in response to a video of an employee of an organization delivering a financial subsidy amounting to SR6,100 to an elderly woman and her psychologically-ill son in a village in the north of the Kingdom. The video went viral across social networking sites such as Youtube.

Tweeters took offense to the content, describing it as “blackmail”, “immoral”, and “contrary to human values”. Many demanded an investigation into the permissibility of such actions as a means to document the work of these organizations.

According to the rules and implementing regulations of charity associations and organizations published on the official site of the Ministry of Social Affairs, articles 46 and 58 of the fifth chapter related to administration and financial regulations stipulate that each charity must have a certified public accountant and maintain records, books and financial documents.

The regulations do not mention any need for the organizations to document the delivery of aid to beneficiaries.

Thabet Motaen, the head of the Center of Social Development in Dammam, said that the uproar caused by the two images is due to their provocative nature. He said that further investigations will be conducted to determine whether the list of regulations stipulate if it is permissible to use photography to document the delivery of assistance to beneficiaries.

“In the case of an absence of such regulations, further action will be taken,” Motaen said.

The Ministry of Social Affairs oversees 650 aid associations operating throughout the Kingdom, of which 40 are women’s organizations, 121 are charities, and 21 are specialized in marriage and family care.