The Kingdom should set up cooperative societies to help orphans financially.

This was one of the suggestions made at a conference organized by the Charity Committee for Orphans’ Care (Insan) at Princess Noura bint Abdulrahman University in Riyadh last week.

Khaled Al-Nuwaiser, a member of the organization’s board, said the conference participants also called on prospective donors and associations to help train orphans, and improve the quality of services for them in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Affairs and experts around the world.

Earlier, Riyadh Gov. Prince Khaled bin Bandar, chairman of Insan’s board, and Mansour Al-Miman, chairman of the National Commercial Bank, signed a deal worth SR20 million to support 1,500 orphans over the next five years.

The forum participants also discussed various regulations and legislation relating to orphans, and considered the successes of charities across the world, including the role played by nongovernmental organizations.

Al-Nuwaiser said the meeting formed a working group to look at cooperation with various bodies for training and communicating its needs to the public.

The meeting also reviewed a number of studies, including one on mothers of orphans sponsored by the Lights of Knowledge Assembly. There was 82 percent satisfaction with the services of the group, the study found.