On 4 November 2026, Prince Faisal bin Badr bin Jalawi, the governor of Badr Province, publicly launched the “Professional Volunteering – Professionals” project. The ceremony, held in the governor’s office, was attended by the Secretary General of the Tawqeen Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship Society, Abdulaziz Al‑Muqnas; the society’s board chair, Dr. Shuhad Suleiman; and the manager of Medina’s Social Development Center, Maher Al‑Faedi. The governor described the initiative as a new chapter in the province’s community development strategy.
The project’s title reflects its dual focus: cultivating a culture of professional volunteering while harnessing the specialized knowledge of the region’s professionals. By pairing expertise with volunteer service, the initiative seeks to produce high‑quality volunteer actions that contribute directly to sustainable development within Badr Province.
In his opening remarks, Prince Faisal outlined three primary objectives for the program. First, the project aims to strengthen the profession of volunteering by encouraging individuals with professional credentials to apply their skills to community service. Second, it intends to promote the use of professional expertise in designing and implementing volunteer initiatives that yield measurable social impact. Third, the initiative seeks to embed these efforts within a framework that supports long‑term community resilience.
Central to the project is the partnership with the Tawqeen Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship Society. As the organization’s Secretary General, Abdulaziz Al‑Muqnas highlighted the society’s experience in nurturing social entrepreneurship. He explained that Tawqeen will provide the structural and creative foundation for the volunteer projects, ensuring that they are innovative, scalable, and aligned with community needs.
Dr. Shuhad Suleiman, the board chair of Tawqeen, emphasized the importance of leadership and governance in the project’s success. She described Tawqeen’s role as setting standards for volunteer ethics, training, and project evaluation. Her remarks underscored the society’s commitment to cultivating professional volunteers who can lead civic initiatives with integrity and accountability.
Maher Al‑Faedi, who manages Medina’s Social Development Center, addressed the logistical dimension of the project. He described the center’s infrastructure—existing volunteer coordination systems, training facilities, and community outreach channels—as critical assets for implementing the initiative. Al‑Faedi noted that the center will support volunteers in accessing professional networks and resources, thereby streamlining the translation of expertise into tangible community benefits.
The civic stakes of the project extend beyond Badr Province’s borders. By institutionalizing professional volunteering, the initiative signals a shift toward more systematic, expertise‑driven community service that can influence policy decisions, local governance, and public accountability. Citizens may see a more transparent and measurable impact of volunteer work, as professional standards are applied to project planning, execution, and assessment.
For the professional community within the province, the project offers an avenue to apply their skills to public service without compromising their career trajectories. This alignment of professional development and civic engagement can enhance both individual fulfillment and community resilience, fostering a sense of shared responsibility and collective progress.
The project also artfully blends contemporary trends in social entrepreneurship with traditional volunteerism. By encouraging professionals to create and manage volunteer initiatives, the program could produce models of service that are adaptable, innovative, and capable of addressing complex socio‑economic challenges—qualities valued in modern governance and public administration.
While the governor did not detail specific metrics, he emphasized the intent to create high‑quality volunteer initiatives that contribute to sustainable community development. The project’s framework, he said, would include mechanisms for monitoring outcomes and integrating lessons learned into future civic projects across the region.
Looking forward, Prince Faisal expressed confidence that the “Professional Volunteering – Professionals” project would set a benchmark for other provinces. He called on citizens, professionals, and civil society organizations to cooperate, thereby strengthening Badr Province’s capacity to address local challenges through collaborative, expertise‑driven volunteerism.
In conclusion, the launch of the “Professional Volunteering – Professionals” project marks a significant step toward institutionalizing the intersection of professional expertise and civic volunteerism. With the backing of key organizations such as the Tawqeen Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship Society and Medina’s Social Development Center, the project holds the promise of creating sustainable, community‑focused initiatives that can serve as a model for public accountability and citizen engagement throughout the region.
