Under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, the National Platform for Charitable Work, “Ihsan,” is preparing to hold its fourth annual ceremony honoring philanthropists this coming Friday. This prominent annual event celebrates a lifetime of continuous giving and recognizes the efforts of individuals and institutions who have generously contributed to supporting charitable and developmental projects across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The Crown Prince’s patronage of this ceremony embodies the great attention that the wise leadership pays to the charitable and non-profit sector, as a fundamental pillar within the objectives of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030. This sector has witnessed radical transformations that have moved it from traditional work to organized institutional work based on data and technology, which has contributed to maximizing the social and economic impact of donations, and ensuring that they reach their beneficiaries with ease and reliability.

The fourth edition of the event aims to highlight exemplary individuals, both citizens and residents, who have embodied the values ​​of social solidarity, as well as showcase the tangible impact of their donations on improving the quality of life for beneficiaries. The event will also focus on highlighting the platform's impactful initiatives, most notably the "Ihsan Endowment Fund," a pioneering model for the sustainability of charitable work. This fund provides opportunities to contribute to investment endowments whose proceeds support diverse charitable causes on a permanent and ongoing basis.

Since its launch in 2021 with the support of the Saudi Data & Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA), the “Ihsan” platform has successfully revolutionized the concept of digital donations. The figures indicate record-breaking success, with total donations through the platform exceeding SAR 14 billion, collected through more than 330 million donation transactions. These figures reflect the growing trust the platform has gained within Saudi society, thanks to its adoption of the highest standards of transparency and governance in managing donations.

This recognition underscores that giving is an authentic value deeply rooted in Saudi Arabian culture, and that the leadership is committed to empowering this sector to be an active partner in national development. The ceremony is expected to draw a large audience of major donors, business leaders, and charitable organization officials, all gathered to celebrate the enduring legacy of giving in this land of humanity.

In a significant humanitarian initiative aimed at alleviating the suffering in the Gaza Strip, the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center inaugurated a central kitchen for producing hot meals, as part of the Saudi popular campaign to aid the Palestinian people. This project, undertaken in cooperation with the Saudi Center for Culture and Heritage, aims to distribute millions of meals in the areas most affected and densely populated with displaced persons.

Project details and production capacity

The center explained that the project focuses on developing and operating a fully equipped central kitchen in the Gaza Strip, with a production capacity of up to 24,000 hot meals daily. Full-scale distribution is scheduled to begin with the start of Ramadan 1447 AH, with a total target production of 3.6 million meals to be distributed directly to displaced and affected families, particularly in the Deir al-Balah and Qarara areas, which are home to thousands of families who have lost their homes.

Developmental and economic dimensions of the project

The central kitchen's role extends beyond simply providing food; it also has developmental dimensions aimed at supporting the struggling local economy in the Gaza Strip. The project relies on utilizing local resources and leveraging available capabilities within Gaza for food preparation and processing. It has created employment opportunities for 40 workers from the Gaza Strip, contributing to improving the income of affected families, strengthening their resilience, and promoting the principle of social solidarity by engaging charitable individuals in the act of providing food.

Sustainability of humanitarian work and quality standards

The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center ensured the kitchen's continued operation even after the initial project phase ended, maintaining it as a permanent source of food support. All stages of preparation, production, and distribution adhere to the highest health standards to guarantee food safety, ensuring that hot, nutritionally balanced meals reach those most in need, especially children, women, and the elderly suffering from acute malnutrition.

The humanitarian context and the pioneering Saudi role

Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, Advisor at the Royal Court and General Supervisor of the Center, affirmed that the crisis in Gaza is one of the most severe humanitarian crises in modern history, noting that more than 90% of the population has fallen into extreme poverty due to the blockade and shortages of basic supplies. He added that this kitchen is the largest of its kind currently available to displaced people, serving more than 36,000 families simultaneously.

This launch is an extension of the air, sea, and land bridges and convoys directed by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, since the beginning of the crisis. The Kingdom has dispatched more than 80 aircraft and dozens of relief ships, and resorted to airdrops of aid when land routes became impossible, reaffirming the Kingdom's unwavering commitment to supporting the Palestinian people under all circumstances.