Article 15 of the Saudi Voluntary Service Law

This article sets a clear limit that protects the idea of volunteering from commercial exploitation, providing that private-sector establishments may not benefit from volunteers' efforts where there is a direct or indirect profit return for those establishments.

In practice this means:

• The bar is tied to there being a profit return for the establishment, and the return includes a direct one (for example, the volunteer does work that the establishment sells) and an indirect one.
• The text of the article is limited to the case of a profit return, and does not address others.

This provision is consistent with the definition of the beneficiary body in Article 1 as a non-profit body, public or civil; the Law is built on the beneficiary of voluntary work being a body that does not seek profit. It is also consistent with the definition of voluntary work as effort provided out of a desire to serve and develop society.

The article does not state the consequence of violation. Anyone asked to "volunteer" at a commercial establishment, or an establishment that wants to know the limits of its community initiatives, can consult a lawyer specializing in commercial and company matters.