RIYADH — Minister of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance Dr. Abdullatif Al-Sheikh warned the public against being misled by any advertisements for fundraising that are neither documented nor authorized by the competent authorities. In a statement issued on his X account on the eve of the holy month of Ramadan, the minister called on everyone to offer their donations only through official channels. The minister cited some instances of illegal fundraising. "A company was found marketing and collecting money from citizens for the purpose of building and renovating mosques, and defrauding donors by making them believe that it has approvals from the authorities. It was also monitored that an association was advertising to collect donations, amounting to SR90, to build mosques in Makkah, even though it has neither obtained any approval from the ministry nor any sites handed over to it for building mosques," he said. Meanwhile, lawyer Rami Al-Sharif noted that there are several provisions in the Saudi Fundraising Law to penalize violators. The law stipulates that collecting donations is limited to the licensed entity, and that those responsible for collecting and distributing donations at the licensed entity must be Saudis. He noted that the law stipulates that a person, who collects donations illegally, will be slapped with a fine not exceeding SR500000 or imprisonment for a period not exceeding two years, or both, with deportation of foreigners after serving the imprisonment and they would not be allowed to reenter the Kingdom except under the Hajj and Umrah regulations. The unlicensed entity that collects donations will be punished with a fine not exceeding SR500000. The fine shall be doubled in the event of a repeat of the violation. The licensed entity that calls for collecting donations in violation of the provisions of Article 9 of the law will be punished with a fine not exceeding SR200000, and the fine shall be doubled in the event of a repeat of the violation. Anyone who violates any provision of the law for which no penalty is provided in this article will be punished with a fine not exceeding SR100000. The fine shall be doubled in the event of a repeat of the violation. A media outlet that advertises for an unlicensed entity that is collecting donations will be slapped with a fine not exceeding SR500000 and the fine shall be doubled in the event of a repeat of the violation. He explained that the law stipulates that no licensed entity may collect donations except in accordance with its objectives stipulated in the law or its executive regulations, and that the collection of donations must be through its approved bank accounts, in accordance with the instructions of the Saudi Central Bank, and through financial transfers via electronic channels as specified by the regulations. The law prohibits the licensed entity from receiving cash donations except through direct deposit into its bank accounts approved by banks and their branches, and receiving donations from outside the Kingdom, except after the approval of the licensing entity.
