RIYADH: As corporate social responsibility continues to become a pivotal part of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 landscape, particularly by bringing together the public, private and nonprofit sectors, its focus on measurable impact is growing.

Speaking to Arab News on the sidelines of the Global CSR Forum in Riyadh, Ahmed Almajed, deputy minister of society development at the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, outlined initiatives launched years ago that continued to deliver results for communities and companies alike.

“We started with a lot of steps with Vision 2030, which included targets focused on CSR. After that, we established the National Committee for Social Responsibility, which was created by royal decree with 15 members from different government entities and two members from the private sector,” he said.

The establishment of the National Committee for Social Responsibility brought together representatives from government entities, the private sector and, importantly, the nonprofit sector, serving as a point of intersection among them.

Almajed also spoke about the national CSR platform, highlighting the SR5 billion ($1.3 billion) accumulated over the past three years as significant to the sector’s direction and growth.

The Kingdom’s focus on the sector, reflected in the funds accumulated so far, underscores how this spending can translate into impact across the wide range of areas covered by CSR.

“We have the heat map whereby we are managing the spend of the SR5 billion,” he said, “so we are checking how it is impacted, for example, on education or health or other sectors.”

Given the forum’s theme, “From Commitment to Impact,” translating financial investment into tangible impact is central to this year’s goals as the event hosts more than 3,000 participants and 100 speakers in Riyadh.

The two-day event focuses on how organizations can move beyond existing commitments and deliver tangible impact through social responsibility initiatives.

With measurable outcomes at the heart of the theme, Almajed highlighted a milestone in that direction; a new CSR policy that is currently being developed, which he described as the first of its kind in the Kingdom.

“Actually, we are working on a main policy for CSR, which is the first in the Kingdom now. It’s being drafted currently. It’s going to take maybe one year or one-and-a-half years, but it will see the light soon, which will make a big impact, God willing.”

He emphasized that greater impact could be achieved as different sectors strengthened their ties and commitments to CSR. He also underlined the need to expand participation beyond large corporations, telling Arab News: “SMEs will have a role in that, so that they can give consultancy activities or other activities. So they have a good role with the big main companies.”

The principle of intersection was also highlighted by Almajed in terms of the relationship between the private and nonprofit sectors.

“They are very linked with the nonprofit sector through sponsorship between the private sector and the nonprofit sector. I think that will be a big chance for activating CSR.”

Minister of Human Resources and Social Development Ahmad Al-Rajhi used his opening keynote to highlight the Kingdom’s commitment to corporate social responsibility, pointing to the private sector as a key partner in its development.

The forum is also strengthening international connections in the CSR sector while showcasing local developments, with participation continuing to grow since its debut in 2024.

Almajed underscored the importance of international cooperation in advancing the Kingdom’s CSR sector, saying: “We need more improvement. We need more connecting with other countries globally so that we can make positive steps for that.”