Anyone observing the dynamics of economic transformation in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia realizes that its non-profit sector is no longer just a marginal contributor to social welfare, but has become a strategic partner in generating sustainable economic value.
From the heart of the event, and honored to attend the scientific seminar accompanying the launch of "Makkah Endowments Center", which was held under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Saud bin Mishal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Deputy Governor of Makkah Region, and organized by the Makkah Chamber of Commerce; the features of a new era for "Endowment Engineering" emerged before us; an era that blends the sanctity of the message with management efficiency and the creation of measurable impact.

The seminar titled "Makkah Endowments in the Service of the Guests of the Most Merciful" was not merely a historical review, but served as an "economic and developmental laboratory" with the participation of a select group of dignitaries, experts, and scholars.
The presented scientific papers focused on answering a fundamental question in the finance of the non-profit sector:
How can we maximize the social and investment return of endowment assets and transform them into living systems that transcend generations?

Governance and Empowerment:
Transitioning from "Pastoral Sentiment" to "Investment Institutionalization"

His Excellency Mr. Imad bin Saleh Al-Kharashi, Governor of the General Authority for Endowments, clarified that the Saudi endowment sector is experiencing rapid qualitative shifts based on two main axes:
Developing systems and governance,
and Enhancing endowment investment efficiency.

The Authority's adoption of a strategy to empower regions to develop their endowments aims not only to preserve endowment assets but also to transform the "Makkah Endowments Center" into a platform that brings together endowers, experts, and developmental entities.
This partnership platform seeks to build institutional knowledge that supports research and legislation and encourages quality endowments, as emphasized by Dr. Osama bin Fadl Al-Bar, Chairman of the Center's Board of Trustees, who pointed out the importance of transforming the Makkah heritage into a sustainable knowledge engine to spread and root the culture of endowment.

A Glorious History:
The Developmental Roots of the First Endowment Governance System in History

The first session of the seminar (led by Professor Dr. Adnan Adas) reviewed how Makkah has historically shaped an advanced model of "Service Economy" through specialized endowments:

  • Water Endowments and Pilgrim Watering:
    Professor Dr. Omar Abu Rzeiza analyzed the "Zubaida Spring" project as one of the oldest and most successful models of environmental and water sustainability from the Abbasid era to the prosperous Saudi era.
  • Infrastructure and Accommodation:
    Professor Dr. Hussein Shafie documented the existence of 46 historical endowment lodges dedicated to receiving and hosting the Guests of the Most Merciful, representing a historically free accommodation safety net managed with the highest levels of efficiency and hospitality.
  • Transformation of Supply Chains (Refadah):
    Dr. Abdullah Al-Otaibi traced the development of the Refadah system since it was launched by Qusay bin Kilab as a social solidarity system, leading to its modern institutionalization through the "Refadah Committee", transforming it from a seasonal individual effort into a sustainable logistical and mutual endowment system.
  • Smart Road Endowments:
    Dr. Abdullah Sidi Al-Tarqi proposed initiatives that combine heritage and technology, suggesting the introduction of artificial intelligence applications to manage and develop endowments along pilgrimage routes to provide security, guidance, and nourishment.

The Fundamental Difference Between Profit-Oriented Companies and Endowments:

The fundamental difference between managing profit-oriented companies and managing endowments is that the former measures its impact by "net profits", while endowments measure their impact by "Social Return on Investment" (SROI) and the resulting vital indicators on the ground.
Using an executive data-driven analysis approach, the second session presented contemporary models that demonstrated the power of numbers in measuring impact:

Mina Foundation (Prince Muteb bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Charitable Foundation)

  • Digital Impact:
    Pumped more than 24 million liters of chilled water for the Guests of the Most Merciful during the Hajj season.
  • Logistical Infrastructure:
    An advanced transport network extending over 170,000 meters.
  • Strategic Investment:
    Contributed to the development portfolio of the Zamzam system valued at 100 million Saudi Riyals.

Al-Rajhi Charitable Company for Domestic Pilgrims Services

  • Demographic Social Impact: Empowering underprivileged citizens, focusing on enabling more than 40,000 new Muslims to perform the Hajj, thereby enhancing human social investment.

Abdulrahman Abdulqader Faqih Charitable Foundation (Environmental Sustainability)

Dr. Afaf Al-Jalal presented a paper that serves as an ideal model for measuring the environmental and health impact of endowments, where the Foundation's projects in (watering, climate moderation, afforestation, and irrigation) led to:

  • A reduction in heat stress cases among pilgrims by 74.6%.
  • A decrease in deaths resulting from heat strokes and heat stress by 47.6%. (This figure clearly reflects how specialized endowments contribute to preserving human life and alleviating the burden on the government health sector).

Nusk Humanitarian Foundation (Institutional Integration)

Mr. Ammar Al-Wohaibi clarified that the great economic opportunity lies in addressing the fragmentation of efforts and transitioning to an integrated system, citing Indicators of the Non-Profit Sector in Hajj:

  • More than 800 organizations operating.
  • Providing over 5,000 services.
  • Mobilizing the efforts of 75,000 volunteers.
  • Identifying 400 developmental needs, 100 investment opportunities, and launching 111 quality initiatives.
Impact indicators and key figures in the endowment system

Innovation and Strategic Alliances: Shaping the Future

The non-profit sector cannot achieve sustainability in isolation from partnerships. According to the integrative perspective, the event witnessed the signing of 6 strategic partnership agreements between the Makkah Endowments Center and sovereign, scientific, and developmental entities, including: (the General Authority for Endowments, Princess Sita bint Abdulaziz Endowments, Al-Sabih Charitable Foundation, Al-Dawiyan Charitable Foundation, Umm Al-Qura University Endowments, and the Scientific Endowment at King Abdulaziz University).
This alliance represents the "strategic integration" needed to unify visions, build research pathways, and avoid duplication of efforts.

In the main session chaired by His Excellency Sheikh Saad bin Nasser Al-Shathri, the features of endowment innovation crystallized through out-of-the-box engineering and operational ideas:
Humanizing Endowment Cities:
Where the Secretary of the Holy Capital, Mr. Musaad Al-Dawood, reviewed the role of community initiatives (such as the "Purify My Home" initiative and community centers) in enhancing quality of life and improving the experience of the Guests of the Most Merciful through integration between the endowment and non-profit sectors.

Operational Efficiency of Food Supply Chains:
By reviewing the experience of the Kingdom's project for benefiting from sacrificial animals (presented by Mr. Saad Al-Wabel) as one of the highest institutional models recognized globally.

Specialized Endowments:
Engineer Ghazi Al-Shahri proposed the idea of transitioning to "specialized vertical endowments" that meet evolving developmental needs instead of traditional general endowments, ensuring flexibility in endowment capital.

Revolution in Engineering Logistics:
Professor Dr. Abdulrazak Sultan concluded the papers by proposing a bold engineering suggestion: using moving conveyor belts inside air-conditioned and closed corridors to facilitate the movement of pilgrims in the holy sites, representing a radical transformation in crowd engineering and logistical movement.

A Unique Global Model

Our attendance at this exceptional event and our witnessing the birth of the "Makkah Endowments Center" confirms to us - as researchers in executive management and non-profit sector economics - that the Kingdom is establishing a unique global model called "Smart Endowment Economy".

The figures recorded and discussed in the seminar (from heat stress reduction rates to the volume of million investments) prove that Islamic endowment is no longer just a static fixed asset, but a flexible financial tool capable of innovation, digital integration, and achieving developmental sustainability. Measuring impact in numerical terms is the only guarantee to achieve the targets of Saudi Vision 2030 by raising the contribution of the non-profit sector to GDP to 5%, and perhaps the endowments of Makkah are the cornerstone and natural leader of this grand developmental journey.