Article 6 of the Saudi Donation Collection Law
المادة 6 من نظام جمع التبرعات
Before any donation campaign, a request stating its purpose, start, duration and amount must be submitted to the licensing authority, which decides within 30 days; the campaign must stop when its period ends or the target amount is reached, whichever is earlier.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- على الجهة المرخَّص لها قبل قيامها بحملة جمع تبرعات تقديم طلب إلى الجهة المرخِّصة، يتضمن الغرض من الحملة وتاريخ بدايتها ومدتها والمبلغ المراد جمعه، وعلى هذه الجهة دراسة الطلب وإصدار قرارها في شأنه خلال (ثلاثين) يوماً من تاريخ تقديم الطلب إليها.
2- يجب أن تتوقف حملة جمع التبرعات عند انتهاء المدة المحددة لها أو توافر المبلغ المستهدف أيهما أسبق.
This is the official Arabic wording, the only legally binding version. We do not translate the law itself; the explanation below is ours. Official source: Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers
Article 6 explained in plain English
This article regulates donation collection campaigns; under Article 1, a campaign is an organized activity through which a call is made to collect donations. It has two paragraphs:
Paragraph 1 - the prior request: the licensed entity must, before carrying out any campaign, submit a request to the licensing authority containing:
- The purpose of the campaign.
- Its start date.
- Its duration.
- The amount to be collected.
The licensing authority must study the request and issue its decision within 30 days of the date it was submitted. This is a safeguard for the applicant so that its request is not left pending.
Paragraph 2 - end of the campaign: the campaign must stop when its set period ends or the target amount is reached, whichever is earlier. If the amount is collected before the end of the period, the campaign stops immediately and does not continue collecting.
In practice, a campaign is fixed in advance as to its purpose, amount and duration, and may not be turned into open-ended collection. Article 7 follows, which prevents the entity from printing or publishing publications calling for donations unless its law or regulations allow it. This article does not state the effect of no decision being issued within 30 days.
Practical example
An association in Abha submitted a request for a campaign to renovate the homes of needy families, stating the purpose, the start date, a duration of two months and an amount of SAR 500,000. After approval, donations reached the target amount after 3 weeks, so it had to stop the campaign even though part of the period remained.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
How we write and review contentAdministrative Law lawyers: ask a specialist about your case
Describe your situation briefly and we'll suggest a lawyer who specialises in this law
Administrative Law (Board of Grievances) lawyers
Lawyers who handle this kind of case
Dr. Ali Al-Rubaie Law Office and Ittihad Al-Asr Legal Company
Al-Safwa Law Office and Legal Consultancy
Frequently asked questions about Article 6 of the Saudi Donation Collection Law
Does a donation collection campaign need a license?
Before carrying out a campaign, the licensed entity must submit a request to the licensing authority stating the purpose, start date, duration and amount to be collected.
How long does the authority have to decide on a donation campaign request?
The licensing authority must study the request and issue its decision within 30 days of the date it is submitted.
When must a donation campaign stop?
When its set period ends or the target amount is reached, whichever is earlier.
More articles on Fundraising Campaigns and Advertising
- Article 7
The article prevents the licensed entity from printing or publishing printed materials calling for donations unless its regulations or bylaws permit it.
لا يجوز للجهة المرخَّص لها طباعة مطبوعات لغرض الدعوة إلى جمع التبرعات، ولا نشرها، ما لم يكن نظامها أو لائحتها تجيز لها ذلك.
- Article 8
The article sets the means of calling for donations: local media, local telecommunications companies, billboards and service bills, printed materials, social media and websites, and whatever the Implementing Regulations specify.
تكون الدعوة إلى جمع التبرعات من خلال الوسائل الآتية: 1- وسائل الإعلام المحلية. 2- شركات الاتصالات المحلية، وفقاً للتعليمات المنظمة لذلك. 3- اللوحات الإعلانية، و
- Article 9
The article requires the licensed entity to include in its donation call the license number, its approved account numbers, its address and telephone numbers, and information about the purpose.
على الجهة المرخَّص لها عند الدعوة إلى جمع التبرعات في أي من الوسائل المشار إليها في المادة (الثامنة) من النظام، أن تُضمّن دعوتها البيانات الآتية: 1- رقم الترخيص
The texts are reproduced from the official website of the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers for reference; where they differ, the officially published Arabic text prevails. This content is not legal advice.