Programme overview
Technical depth: Conceptual · Practical mode: Case study
Introduction
Associations and foundations in Saudi Arabia are now bound by written Governance Rules, and the National Center for Non-Profit Sector (NCNP) assesses organisations against its standards for compliance, transparency and disclosure, and financial safety. Many still run on founding bylaws, undocumented decisions and policies that exist only on paper, and a weak result can cost funding, licences and public trust. This Core Concept course equips board members and executive leaders to judge a governance system against the NCNP Governance Rules, ISO 37000 and recognised international codes, and to direct its improvement. Participants leave with a Governance Framework and Compliance Roadmap.
Course Objectives
- Explain how the general assembly, the board and executive management share authority under the Law of Associations and Foundations, its Implementing Regulations and ISO 37000
- Interpret the NCNP Governance Rules and governance standards, separating mandatory Saudi requirements from voluntary international codes
- Approve a core governance policy set, including conflicts of interest, delegation of authority and whistleblowing, proportionate to the organisation's size
- Oversee governance compliance through internal control, the Three Lines Model and a compliance obligations register
- Judge governance risks such as founder dominance, related-party dealings and terrorist-financing exposure, and direct proportionate controls
- Produce a Governance Framework and Compliance Roadmap ready for board approval
Target Audience
- Board and trustee members of Saudi associations and foundations and of charities in other jurisdictions
- General assembly members who elect the board and approve its reports
- Chief executives and executive directors accountable to a non-profit board
- Governance, compliance and board secretariat leads who maintain the governance system
- Leaders of grant-making foundations and endowments who assess the governance of grantees
Course Outline
Day 1: Non-Profit Governance Foundations and the Saudi Regulatory Landscape
- ISO 37000:2021 Governance Principles Applied to Non-Profit Organisations
- Law of Associations and Foundations (Royal Decree M/8) and Its Implementing Regulations
- NCNP Supervisory Role: Registration, Licensing and Governance Oversight
- Governance Stakeholder Map: Members, Donors, Beneficiaries and Supervisors
- Governance Maturity Baseline Using a Structured Self-Assessment Checklist
Day 2: The NCNP Governance Rules and International Codes
- NCNP Governance Rules for Associations and Foundations (Amended 2026): Mandatory Obligations
- NCNP Governance Standards: Compliance and Commitment, Transparency and Disclosure, Financial Safety
- Charity Governance Code (2025 Edition) and BoardSource Twelve Principles as Comparative Codes
- Mandatory Rules versus Voluntary Codes: Comply-or-Explain Logic
- IIA Three Lines Model (2020) in a Non-Profit Setting
Day 3: Governance Structures, Policies and Decision Rights
- General Assembly Procedures Under the Governance Rules: Quorum, Elections and Annual Approvals
- Board Charter and Schedule of Matters Reserved for the Board
- Delegation of Authority Matrix for the Board, Committees and Executive
- Conflict of Interest Policy and Annual Declaration Register
- Core Policy Set: Whistleblowing, Code of Conduct and Document Retention
Day 4: Governance Risk, Compliance and Control
- Compliance Obligations Register Aligned to ISO 37301:2021
- COSO Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) for Grant and Donation Funds
- FATF Recommendation 8: Risk-Based Protection Against Terrorist-Financing Abuse
- Related-Party Transaction Review and Founder Dominance Red Flags
- Governance Risk Register Aligned to ISO 31000:2018
Day 5: Case Work and the Governance Framework
- Charity Governance Failure Case Study: Breakdown of Board Oversight
- Saudi Association Case Study: Board Election and Conflict of Interest Review
- Governance Gap Analysis Against the NCNP Governance Rules for an Own Organisation
- Governance Framework and Compliance Roadmap Drafting
- Mock Board Presentation and Peer Challenge of the Roadmap
Skills You Will Gain
- Governance System Design
- Decision Rights Allocation
- Conflict of Interest Oversight
- Non-Profit Compliance Oversight
- Governance Risk Judgement
- Accountability Reporting
- Policy Framework Approval
Why Attend This Course
- Leave with a Governance Framework and Compliance Roadmap that ranks gaps against the NCNP Governance Rules and gives each one an owner and a date
- Question executive reports and governance assessment results with confidence instead of accepting them at face value
- Tell apart what Saudi regulation requires of the organisation and what international good practice recommends, and decide where to go further
- Compare governance practice with board members and executives from associations, foundations and charities in Saudi Arabia and other countries
Conclusion
Good governance in an association or foundation shows in how decisions are made, recorded and challenged, not in the number of policies on file. This course moves from the Law of Associations and Foundations and ISO 37000, through the NCNP Governance Rules, its governance standards and the structures and policies that allocate authority, to the compliance, control and risk issues that most often expose boards. The final day turns that material into a Governance Framework and Compliance Roadmap that participants present to their boards as a prioritised programme of improvement.