Prince Faisal bin Badr bin Jalawi, the governor of Badr Province, officially launched the Professional Volunteering – Professionals project during a ceremony held on November 4, 2026, in Badr. The event marked the beginning of an effort to integrate skilled professionals into volunteer work that can foster sustainable development across the region.
Project Objectives
The initiative is designed to promote a culture of professional volunteering. It intends to leverage professional expertise and qualified personnel to create high‑quality volunteer initiatives that contribute to sustainable community development. As highlighted during the launch, the project seeks to expand the participation of non‑profit sector professionals in a structured way, building on the ideas and successes of related innovation and entrepreneurship projects supported by the region’s civic society.
Key Participants
The launch was attended by several prominent figures from local social entrepreneurship and development circles. The Secretary General of the Tawqeen Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship Society, Abdul Aziz Al-Maqnas, spoke on the organization’s programs and its role in fostering community participation. The board chair of the society, Dr. Shahad Suleiman, emphasized the importance of creative solutions in strengthening volunteer efforts. In addition, the manager of the Medina Social Development Center, Maher Al-Faedi, was present to highlight the role of government‑led partnerships in supporting the initiative. Representation from the provincial administration also underscored the project’s alignment with broader governmental priorities for civic engagement and capacity building.
The governor outlined the specific features of the program in his acceptance speech. He called for the mobilization of professionals across various fields—medicine, engineering, education, and technology—to contribute their knowledge and skills in volunteer projects that address local needs. He emphasized that such collaboration would help build a skilled volunteer workforce that can tackle more complex challenges than traditional volunteer groups. By integrating professional expertise, the project aims to render volunteer initiatives more efficient, innovative, and impactful.
During the ceremony, the governor also discussed the strategic framework for the project’s implementation. He noted that the initiative will be monitored through a set of performance indicators designed to track the number of volunteer hours contributed by skilled professionals, the quality of projects initiated, and the tangible benefits delivered to communities. He also mentioned that the project would be expanded to other provinces that share similar civic engagement profiles, mirroring the approach taken by the Tawqeen society in other parts of the country.
The initiative reflects a growing trend in Saudi Arabia to integrate professional competencies into the charitable sphere, reinforcing a sense of responsibility among the country’s working population. The governor further highlighted that the collaboration between regional authorities, civil society organizations, and the private sector will create a more dynamic ecosystem for volunteering. He mentioned that examples of similar models from other provinces have shown promising results in boosting participation rates and enhancing the quality of services delivered to local communities.
In a statement following the launch, the governor noted that the project will open a new channel for professionals motivated to apply their technical and managerial knowledge to the benefit of society. He called on all citizens whose skills could be offered voluntarily to join the initiative, pointing out that professional volunteering can be an effective form of social capital that benefits both individuals and their communities.
One week after the launch, officials announced a committee that would oversee the coordination of volunteer specialists and local community needs. The committee will also be responsible for ensuring that the project’s expectations are met through continuous engagement and feedback from both professionals and beneficiaries.
As of the latest reports, no detailed data on the project's early impacts are yet available. The initiative’s long‑term success and the measurable outcomes of professional volunteering remain to be determined by the ongoing assessment planned by the project team.
