Introduction

Despite significant global progress in poverty reduction – the number of extreme poor declined from 38 percent in 1990 to 8.5 percent in 2024 as reported by the World BankFootnote ¹ – the Arab world continues to grapple with stark socioeconomic challenges. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, approximately 25 percent of the region’s population lived in poverty. This figure has since risen sharply, with estimates suggesting the pandemic has driven the total number of poor people in the region from 66 million in 2010 to 131 million in 2023, including 52 million categorized as extremely poor.Footnote ²

Beyond poverty, the region faces a litany of challenges: political instability, high unemployment rates, relatively high demographic growth rates,Footnote ³ migration, and mounting financial pressures. These systemic issues are further compounded by entrenched social norms, which can create barriers to women’s participation in the workforce and slow progress toward sustainable development. Female labor force participation remains exceptionally low, averaging just 20 percent compared to the global average of 53 percent.³ When high-income countries are excluded, this figure drops further to 16 percent, highlighting a key area for developmental focus.

Regional and global conflicts such as in Gaza, Sudan, and Ukraine have further strained household incomes notably in nations ill-equipped to deal with competing complex crises. The region’s socioeconomic vulnerabilities are also exacerbated by its significant and growing refugee population, which exceeds nine million and intensifies already precarious living conditions. In 2018, for instance, 24 percent of the region’s population resided in slum areas.⁴

These distinct macroeconomic challenges underscore the urgency of a collaborative and multisectoral approach to development in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Effective responses must involve partnerships between civil society, the private sector, and governments. However, such collaboration requires an enabling regulatory environment that is currently insufficient to allow civil society organizations (CSOs)Footnote ⁴ to contribute meaningfully to addressing these issues. The Arab world’s third sector faces significant regulatory barriers that stifle its ability to support both long-term socioeconomic development and intermittent humanitarian crises.

This chapter examines the regulatory context of the Arab world focusing on Egypt and explores how policy frameworks shape the potential of CSOs to drive progress. It also examines how conducive policies can unlock underutilized development capital and empower the third sector to make significant contributions to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Civil Society as a Catalyst for Sustainable Development: The Global Context

The strength of the region’s civil society in terms of its contribution to economic and social advancement stands in stark contrast to that of Europe and North America, where the nonprofit sectors play a substantial role in promoting socioeconomic development. The sheer number of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs)Footnote ⁵ stands as a testimony to the flexibility and support provided by public policy.

France, for example, with a population of approximately 68 million, has 1.5 million NGOs. Germany, with a population of 84 million, has around 650,000, while Italy, with around 60 million people, has 359,574. Similarly, Sweden, with a population of about 10.5 million, hosts 257,572 NGOs, and in the United States, there are approximately 1.54 million nonprofit organizations serving a population of 334 million.Footnote ⁶

In these countries, the nonprofit sector is vital not only for social progress but also as an economic contributor. In France, the nonprofit sector contributes 3.3 percent to the gross national product (GDP), while in Germany this figure reaches 4.1 percent, and in Sweden it is 3 percent. The United States presents a similar case, with the nonprofit sector representing 5.6 percent of GDP and an economic contribution amounting to $1.4 trillion.Footnote ⁷ In Canada, civil society contributes 8.5 percent to the national GDP surpassing the retail sector and closely rivaling the petroleum sector.Footnote ⁸

The third sector also exerts a considerable impact on employment, providing jobs for 29.3 million individuals across the European Union, representing 13 percent of total employment in the region.Footnote ⁹ In the United States, the nonprofit sector accounts for 12.3 percent of total employment, with more than 12 million jobs, while in Canada, it supports 2 million jobs. Additionally, civil society generates numerous volunteering opportunities. In the United States, for example, around 65 million people engage in volunteer work through this sector.

In contrast, civil society in the Arab region faces significant structural limitations. CSOs in the Arab world operate within regulatory frameworks that often include complex requirements for research, funding, and partnerships. While some governments have begun recognizing the sector’s potential as a development partner, further policy refinements could enhance its contribution to national progress. Unlike their European and North American counterparts, which may receive up to 43 percent of their funding from government sources, CSOs in most of the Arab world frequently operate with minimal governmental financial support. While regulations around foreign funding and administrative processes aim to ensure accountability, they at times create unintended barriers that limit CSO’s ability to scale their impact.Footnote ¹⁰ These constraints often limit their access to resources, which in turn limits their capacity to participate in large-scale poverty alleviation, education reform, or social welfare projects.Footnote ¹¹

Regulatory Constraints: Barriers to Growing the Sector

The range and nature of regulations governing CSOs across the Arab region frequently act as barriers serving to undermine the sector’s potential as a force for social change. Many countries impose stringent requirements for registration while creating insurmountable bureaucratic hurdles that often prevent communities from registering CSOs and even discourage philanthropists from regional giving.

Many regional governments are now conscious of the challenge and, indeed, the missed opportunity and are seeking to rectify the issue: Egypt’s Law No. 149 of 2019, for example, marked a significant shift in the regulatory framework governing the third sector: by simplifying the registration process, the law made it easier for organizations to gain legal recognition and become fully operational. However, the law falls short of addressing systemic challenges such as persistent bureaucratic delays and constraints on foreign funding, which hinder Egyptian CSO’s ability to build partnerships, secure resources, and expand their impact.

This situation reflects a broader regional trend in which, despite tentative efforts to develop new regulatory frameworks for CSOs, governments continue to lag behind their global peers. As a result, much of the third sector’s capacity remains underutilized, exacerbating already complex development challenges. To unlock the potential of these organizations as agents of positive change, governments must adopt more enabling policies that promote transparency, encourage participation, and reduce unnecessary restrictions that hinder technical capacity, financial resilience, and broader civic engagement and volunteerism.

Technical Capacity – Data Access and Scientific Evidence. Access to reliable data is a crucial technical enabler for CSOs, yet it remains a major challenge across much of the Arab world. Organizations need the freedom to collect, analyze, and share data to develop interventions rooted in scientific evidence. A data-driven approach helps identify community needs, assess program effectiveness, and refine strategies for greater impact. However, without supportive regulatory frameworks, CSOs struggle to leverage this essential resource, weakening their ability to implement evidence-based solutions and enhance their technical capacity.

To fully realize their potential, CSOs must evolve beyond operational efficiency and focus on strategic alignment with community needs. Grounding programs in clear objectives and scientific research can reshape government and public perceptions of the sector’s value. Investing in capacity building and specialized training will further enable CSOs to design impactful initiatives and advocate more effectively for their role as key development partners.

Research underscores the value of scientifically informed initiatives. Nobel laureate Michael Kremer has demonstrated that development programs based on rigorous evaluation can yield returns on investment ranging from 1:5 to 1:17. To harness this impact, governments must facilitate data collection, enhance program evaluation, and institutionalize policies that support scaling proven interventions. Strengthening these frameworks will foster evidence-based decision-making, ensuring that successful initiatives can be scaled.

Financial Resilience. Financial constraints remain a persistent challenge for CSOs in the region, exacerbated by limited government funding and strict restrictions on foreign contributions. Unlike in Europe and North America, where government subsidies can account for up to 30% of nonprofit revenue, Arab CSOs primarily rely on inconsistent and restricted external funding. This dependence severely limits their operational capacity and long-term financial sustainability.

While the role of CSOs in addressing key developmental challenges is increasingly recognized, financial regulations in some countries still create hurdles that limit CSO’s ability to secure sustainable funding. In some countries, CSOs face stringent regulations that prevent them from receiving international grants or philanthropic donations without undergoing extensive due diligence. This can lead to delays that ultimately result in the grant being withdrawn. Direct government financial support is also extremely limited despite the sector’s ability to reach marginalized populations beyond the scope of traditional state mechanisms.

Restricting CSO’s ability to form partnerships further exacerbates financial challenges. Addressing complex and systemic issues requires multi-sector collaboration, combining varied sources of capital. Strengthened partnerships are particularly vital in tackling large-scale challenges such as climate change, which demand coordinated and scalable responses. However, current regulatory frameworks do little to encourage such collaborations.

Civic Engagement and Volunteerism. A strong culture of civic engagement and volunteerism is essential for a vibrant civil society, yet participation remains underdeveloped across much of the Arab world. To bridge this gap, Arab governments and CSOs can collaborate to cultivate a culture of civic responsibility, empowering communities to take part in development initiatives. While public campaigns promoting volunteerism and collective responsibility do exist, they are rarely institutionalized or integrated into broader societal structures, such as within educational curricula or youth programs.

Embedding civic engagement within formal education and policy frameworks could help expand public participation, strengthening civil society’s capacity to address pressing social challenges. Additionally, fostering structured volunteer opportunities could provide meaningful pathways for under-engaged youth, many of whom face limited job prospects and inadequate educational resources. Institutionalizing civic engagement would not only enhance social cohesion but also empower individuals to actively contribute to sustainable development and long-term societal progress.

Navigating Regulatory Landscapes for Impact: Bab Amal in Egypt

The role of an enabling regulatory environment is crucial for unlocking the full potential of development initiatives. While regulatory frameworks are designed to ensure accountability and efficiency, they can also create unintended barriers that slow down or complicate the implementation of impactful programs. Navigating these challenges is essential for translating innovation into large-scale, sustainable change.

Bab Amal (Door of Hope), launched in Egypt by the Sawiris Foundation for Social Development (SFSD) in collaboration with BRAC International and the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), is built on a rigorous, evidence-based approach to tackling systemic poverty. Initially developed by SFSD through extensive engagement with multi-sector actors, Bab Amal now has the potential to reach more than 100,000 households, benefiting approximately 500,000 individuals – more than 10 percent of Egypt’s most impoverished population. Yet like many ambitious social programs, its journey highlights both the opportunities and the complexities of working within regulatory frameworks.

Initial implementation of the program faced delays due to the multi-partnership setup of the program and because the program was launched in 2018 ahead of the new NGO law introduced in 2019. However, a significant breakthrough came in early 2025 when the Egyptian Ministry of Social Solidarity provided an opportunity for expansion, marking a pivotal step in accelerating Bab Amal’s reach. This government support is expected to fast-track the program’s impact and serve as a compelling example of how enabling regulation can unlock value.

While the Egyptian government has made notable progress in strengthening and facilitating the civil society ecosystem, Bab Amal serves as a valuable learning opportunity. By analyzing both its successes and challenges, policymakers and development practitioners can refine future evidence-based interventions, improve regulatory frameworks, and enhance the scalability of proven global models to drive sustainable impact.

A Model for Evidence-Based Poverty Alleviation. Bab Amal was inspired by BRAC’s internationally acclaimed Graduation Approach, a comprehensive strategy that enables extremely poor households to achieve sustainable economic improvement. This approach integrates interventions to enhance food security, support small business creation, provide technical assistance through community facilitators, and improve access to essential government services. Globally, the model has shown measurable impact over the short, medium, and long terms, with benefits persisting for up to 11 years. Recognizing its potential, SFSD worked to adapt this approach to Egypt’s unique context, focusing on two of the country’s poorest governorates, Assiut and Sohag.

Operational Regulatory Hurdles. One of the primary challenges in developing Bab Amal arose during its establishment phase, mirroring obstacles faced in other regional countries, particularly regarding registration and partnership formation. In 2018, prior to the change in the NGO law, SFSD initiated discussions with Professor Abhijit Banerjee, Nobel laureate and cofounder of J-PAL, to assess the feasibility of implementing BRAC’s Graduation Approach in Egypt. Despite securing support from local NGOs, international partners, and academic experts, the program encountered an eighteen-month delay in obtaining the necessary approvals, illustrating the regulatory hurdles that can impede even the most well-supported initiatives.

Additional obstacles included restrictions on data collection, a crucial component for conducting a rigorous randomized controlled trial to assess the program’s outcomes. The approval process for collaborating with international organizations, such as BRAC’s technical team, was hindered by procedural complexities, resulting in further delays. The process of finalizing contracts and securing permissions for data collection took longer than anticipated, requiring SFSD and its partners to adapt their timelines and financing strategies and resources to ensure successful implementation.

Financial Consequences of Regulatory Delays. These regulatory inefficiencies had profound financial implications, significantly inflating costs and limiting the program’s reach. Initially, the estimated cost per beneficiary was approximately $140, but this figure increased to $218–238 due to anticipated implementation challenges. As the delays persisted, costs escalated further, reaching $534 per household – nearly four times the original estimate.

At a national scale, these delays increased the cost of a planned expansion to 100,000 households from $24.8 million to 53.4 million – a 225 percent rise.

The Power of Partnerships. Fortunately, Bab Amal was built on collaborative partnerships, which became its cornerstone, helping overcome operational challenges while driving innovation. By bringing together local philanthropic organizations like SFSD, global NGOs such as BRAC, and academic research institutions like J-PAL, the program demonstrated how combining local knowledge, global expertise, and scientific rigor can generate innovative and scalable solutions. Similar alliances, such as those formed by Life Makers and the Egyptian Food Bank with international research centers, further highlight the value of such cooperation.

Flexible funding structures also played a pivotal role, enabling the program to adapt and refine its strategies in response to challenges. Bab Amal’s evaluation revealed that even when implemented at half the original cost, the initiative could achieve significant impact, demonstrating the potential for scaling evidence-based interventions efficiently. This adaptability not only reduces financial risk but also enhances the appeal of such programs to donors.

Government also played a role. The establishment of the Egypt Impact Lab within the Ministry of Planning was a positive step toward enhancing the country’s ability to implement effective and scalable programs. By fostering partnerships between NGOs, academia, and the private sector, the Lab can help institutionalize evidence-driven decision-making, enhancing the efficiency and impact of interventions. Encouraging donors to invest in adaptive funding mechanisms would support iterative testing and scaling, creating a conducive environment for innovation and sustainability.

In this respect, Bab Amal has the potential to serve as a central hub for integrating various social protection interventions, fostering a more cohesive and efficient approach to tackling poverty. It can also act as a catalyst for trusted investment from individuals, governments, international donors, and the private sector, ensuring sustainable and scalable impact.

For instance, the food subsidy program, one of Egypt’s largest social protection initiatives, could be incorporated into the scale-up of Bab Amal, reducing the overall cost of expansion. As the targeted families are already eligible or should be included in the food subsidy program based on their economic status, this integration would not impose any additional financial burden on the government. Similarly, other existing government interventions, such as social housing and related schemes, could be aligned with Bab Amal to maximize efficiency.

What makes Bab Amal truly remarkable is that, for the first time, we have a proven, evidence-based model that demonstrates its effectiveness not only in improving people’s lives during the intervention but also in sustaining these gains for more than a year beyond its completion. Moreover, Bab Amal provides a clear and precise estimation of the social return on investment, offering valuable insights into the impact of each Egyptian pound spent per household. This level of transparency, accountability, and measurable impact positions Bab Amal as a unique and replicable model for shaping the future of social protection programs in Egypt and beyond.

Public Policy Reform: Innovation in Egypt

The Bab Amal program is a powerful example of how evidence-based approaches can drive meaningful social impact. Its success highlights the potential of rigorous, data-driven interventions to improve livelihoods at scale. At the same time, its journey offers valuable insights into the practical challenges of implementing large-scale development programs within complex regulatory landscapes.

While Bab Amal has delivered significant and lasting outcomes, certain procedural and administrative processes, extended its timeline and required additional financial resources to navigate. These experiences underscore the importance of continuously refining regulatory frameworks to enable faster, more cost-effective implementation of high-impact programs such as Bab Amal.

As other evidence-driven initiatives emerge across Egypt, lessons learned from Bab Amal can be applied to help maximize their potential impact of public policy. Similarly, the Egyptian government’s growing commitment to improving policies around scientific evidence and data-driven approaches bodes well.

One notable example is the Egypt Evidence for Policy Accelerator, a collaboration between the Information and Decision Support Center (IDSC), the National Institute of Planning (INP), and the International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie). This initiative seeks to bridge the gap between science, policymakers, and civil society, complementing the work of the Egypt Impact Lab in advancing evidence-informed policymaking.

Additionally, several initiatives inspired by Bab Amal hold great potential for national, regional, and global replication. Among them is the partnership between SFSD and Bank Nasr, which is currently testing micro-equity financing – an innovative microfinance model that has shown promising results in Egypt.

Another significant initiative involves a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Social Solidarity, 3ie, SFSD, J-PAL, the Egyptian Food Bank (EFB), UNICEF, and other partners. This project evaluates the impact of a holistic early childhood development approach, integrating access to nurseries with labor market interventions. The goal is to assess how expanding childcare access can enhance women’s workforce participation while simultaneously supporting children’s cognitive, psychological, and nutritional development.

With the collective efforts of key institutions such as the Ministry of Social Solidarity, SFSD, the Economic Research Forum (ERF), the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), 3ie, J-PAL, IDSC, and INP, Egypt has a unique opportunity to become a global leader in bridging the gap between science and public policy. By fostering multi-stakeholder partnerships, the country can set a precedent for collaborative, evidence-based policymaking that is both scalable and internationally replicable.

At this stage, the highest priority is to continue strengthening the civil society ecosystem to ensure these efforts remain on track and achieve long-term impact. Given the significant improvements in Egypt’s civil society landscape in recent years, there is strong optimism that this progress will continue. Case studies such as Bab Amal, alongside other promising initiatives, serve as beacons of hope, demonstrating the transformative potential of evidence-based policymaking when supported by enabling regulatory frameworks and collaborative partnerships.

Unleashing the Power of the Arab Third Sector

To maximize its impact, the third sector in the Arab region can draw lessons both from successful global nonprofit models and from regional examples such as Bab Amal. When governments view CSOs as partners in achieving development goals rather than threats to political stability, they unlock new possibilities for system change. Key to this shift is the dismantling of regulatory barriers that limit access to technical capacity building, funding – both domestic and international – and fostering civic engagement.

Stronger interregional collaboration among governments, the private sector, and CSOs could further enable the Arab nonprofit sector to replicate global successes such as those of BRAC that have been scaled globally. Through evidence-based initiatives like the Program Targeting the Ultra Poor, BRAC has significantly reduced extreme poverty and has built a model that is now replicated in more than fifty countries.

Similarly, India’s Pratham has built an education program (Teaching at the Right Level) that improves literacy and numeracy among primary students and is now adopted widely in Africa. Intermediary organizations that unite actors across the ecosystem can also help. Innovations for Poverty Action and the International Initiative for Impact Evaluation have shown through their research how nonprofits can influence evidence-based policy. By conducting impact evaluations and equipping policymakers with actionable data, their work has served to benefit millions. Given the economic, social, and cultural links across the Arab world, these kinds of scalable interventions should become second nature.

Funding remains a major barrier. According to an analysis by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, global nonprofits typically generate around 40 percent of their revenue from service fees, 30 percent from government sources, and the remainder from philanthropic giving.Footnote ¹² This diversified funding base enables nonprofits to expand their societal contributions, including significant job creation. However, this model is not replicated in the Arab world, where CSOs often receive little to no financial support from governments, severely limiting their ability to scale and drive development. To unlock the potential of the Arab third sector as a key driver of social innovation, systemic regulatory reform is essential – particularly in the five policy areas outlined in the next section.

Areas for Policy Reform

Simplifying Legal and Administrative Barriers. One of the most significant challenges facing Arab CSOs is the complexity of legal and administrative requirements for registration and operation. In many countries, lengthy approval processes, excessive government oversight, and unpredictable regulatory enforcement discourage CSO formation and expansion. Egypt’s Law No. 149 of 2019, while an improvement over previous regulations, still presents challenges such as restrictions on foreign funding that limit CSOs’ ability to form partnerships and secure resources.

To enable civil society to flourish, registration and approval mechanisms must be streamlined to ensure a clear, transparent, and efficient process. Governments should introduce fast-track approval systems for high-impact, evidence-based initiatives, particularly those that align with national development priorities and the SDGs. Furthermore, regulatory frameworks should be reformed to ensure consistency and reduce unnecessary administrative burdens on CSOs, allowing them to focus on delivering impact rather than navigating legal obstacles.

Streamlining these processes will not only encourage the establishment of new organizations but also enhance trust between CSOs and governments, paving the way for a more collaborative and efficient development ecosystem.

Creating an Enabling Financial Environment. To ensure a financially resilient civil society, regulatory reforms should focus on expanding domestic funding opportunities and creating incentives for corporate and individual philanthropy. Governments should introduce tax exemptions and deductions for donations to CSOs, ensuring that businesses and individuals are encouraged to contribute to social development initiatives. Additionally, foreign funding restrictions should be revised to strike a balance between national security concerns and the need for global partnerships and financial sustainability.

Further financial flexibility should be provided by allowing CSOs to generate revenue through service fees, government contracts, and social enterprises, as seen in successful international models. BRAC, for instance, has demonstrated how financial sustainability in the nonprofit sector can be achieved through social enterprise models that generate revenue while serving development goals. Replicating such models in the Arab world would reduce dependency on unstable external funding and create self-sustaining nonprofit ecosystems.

Removing Restrictions on Data Access and Research. A robust evidence base is essential for effective policymaking and program design, yet many Arab countries impose legal and procedural barriers to CSOs’ ability to collect, analyze, and share data. Without reliable data, CSOs struggle to measure impact, improve interventions, and advocate for policy changes that reflect on-the-ground realities.

Regulatory reforms should guarantee CSOs the right to conduct independent research and impact evaluations, removing unnecessary restrictions on data collection and sharing. Governments should also establish clear and transparent legal provisions for access to public datasets, ensuring that CSOs can align their work with national development priorities and optimize resource allocation.

By integrating data-sharing mechanisms between CSOs and government agencies, policymakers can make better-informed decisions based on real-world insights. Strengthening legal protections for research collaborations between CSOs, universities, and global institutions will ensure that the Arab third sector can benefit from scientific innovation and international best practices.

Enabling Multi-Sector Collaboration. The ability of CSOs to partner with governments, businesses, and international organizations is fundamental to their success. However, legal restrictions in many Arab countries prevent CSOs from forming joint ventures with private-sector actors and government entities. These barriers limit their access to funding, expertise, and infrastructure, preventing the development of large-scale, impactful initiatives.

Some Arab countries have begun implementing reforms to facilitate multi-sector partnerships, such as Saudi Arabia’s National Center for the Non-Profit Sector (NCNPS) and Abu Dhabi’s Authority of Social Contribution (Ma’an), which support third-sector collaboration and funding mechanisms. However, such models remain the exception rather than the norm, and regulatory restrictions on CSO participation in public–private partnerships (PPPs) continue to hinder development progress.

Governments should amend legal frameworks to encourage structured partnerships between CSOs, businesses, and state institutions, particularly in priority areas such as poverty alleviation, health care, and education. This includes clarifying legal guidelines for joint ventures, ensuring that CSOs can receive and manage private-sector funding transparently, and removing legal ambiguities that discourage collaboration. By enabling multi-sector cooperation, Arab countries can unlock synergies that drive sustainable, large-scale change.

Institutionalizing Evidence-Based Policymaking. For regulatory reforms to be truly impactful, governments must integrate CSO-led research and evaluation into public policy. In Egypt, initiatives like the Egypt Impact Lab and the Evidence for Policy Accelerator have demonstrated the value of embedding data-driven approaches in policymaking. However, many governments in the region still lack institutionalized mechanisms for CSOs to contribute research and expertise to national development strategies.

To address this, regulatory reforms should mandate systematic collaboration between government agencies, CSOs, and research institutions. Legal provisions should be established to integrate evidence-based recommendations into policy frameworks, ensuring that national policy discussions are informed by data rather than political considerations.

Additionally, governments should support the scaling of proven, evidence-based models, such as Bab Amal, which have shown long-term success in poverty alleviation. Strengthening the legal framework for evidence-based policy adoption would foster an environment where effective social programs are continuously refined, expanded, and sustained.

Conclusion

The Arab third sector holds immense promise in addressing pressing socioeconomic challenges, yet its impact remains constrained by restrictive regulatory environments, financial limitations, and barriers to collaboration. Unlike in regions where civil society plays a vital role in development, many Arab countries impose onerous legal and administrative processes that stifle CSO growth and restrict access to essential funding and partnerships.

By implementing targeted regulatory reforms, governments in the Arab world can remove bureaucratic obstacles, create a stable financial environment, enhance access to data, foster multi-sector collaboration, and institutionalize evidence-based policymaking. A thriving third sector is not a luxury; it is a necessity for sustainable development. By streamlining legal processes, expanding financial flexibility, facilitating data access, and encouraging structured collaboration between civil society, government, and the private sector, Arab governments can unlock billions in untapped development capital, create stronger and more inclusive social protection systems, and empower CSOs as key drivers of economic and social transformation.

Regulatory reform is not just about removing barriers; it is about building an ecosystem where civil society can innovate, expand, and meaningfully contribute to national development goals. The time for change is now; Arab policymakers must act decisively to reshape the future of civil society, ensuring that the third sector reaches its full potential as a pillar of sustainable progress.