The General Authority for Endowments announced the start of depositing the profits achieved for the fiscal year 2025 for the funds of endowed properties deposited with it. This step reflects the continuity of its approach to maximizing and developing endowment returns, ensuring sustainability and enhancing the efficiency of managing endowment assets.

The authority explained that the total cumulative profits achieved for endowments since the start of the investment process amounted to about 1.58 billion riyals. This confirms the effectiveness of the investment methodology it follows in managing the deposited funds, maximizing their economic and social impact, and ensuring the fulfillment of the donors’ conditions.

Investing Funds and Achieving Returns

It clarified that these profits include funds from endowed properties that were expropriated for the public interest, or for which approval was obtained from the competent court to dispose of them. The authority works to invest those funds according to professional foundations and well-studied investment strategies that consider capital preservation, risk management, and achieving sustainable returns, thus preserving endowment assets and ensuring their sustainability. This embodies the attention given by the leadership to the endowment sector, and this investment comes as one of the fruits of the Council of Ministers’ decision dated 24/1/1446 AH, which granted the General Authority for Endowments the authority to invest the funds of endowed properties deposited with it.

Verifying Due Profits Electronically

Endowment supervisors can verify the due profits through the "Awqaf" platform for digital services via the "Authorization to Invest Funds" service. The authority urges endowment supervisors who have not previously registered on the "Awqaf" platform to register and benefit from the available digital services, which enable them to follow up on their endowments and enhance the utilization of investment returns, within the framework of the digital transformation led by the authority to develop and improve the efficiency of the endowment sector.

It is noteworthy that the General Authority for Endowments works to enhance the endowment sector, its governance, preservation, development, and awareness through launching innovative endowment products and services offered to beneficiaries, to be a leader in sustainable development locally and globally. This is done by fulfilling the conditions of donors, applying best practices, and enacting systems and regulations that would elevate, develop, and enable endowment work, maximizing its impact on economic and social development and social solidarity.

General Authority for Endowments

The General Authority for Endowments is a Saudi governmental body responsible for managing and developing Islamic endowments (awqaf) to ensure their sustainability and social benefit. Established to oversee charitable assets, it traces its roots to the historical Islamic tradition of endowments, which fund religious, educational, and welfare projects. The authority modernizes endowment administration to maximize their impact on community development and economic growth.

Awqaf

Awqaf (also spelled “Waqf”) refers to an Islamic endowment system where property or assets are donated for religious, charitable, or public benefit purposes, often in perpetuity. Historically, this practice dates back to the time of the Prophet Muhammad and became a cornerstone of Islamic civilization, funding mosques, schools, hospitals, and infrastructure across the Muslim world. Today, Awqaf institutions continue to manage these endowments, preserving cultural heritage and supporting social welfare in many countries.