Introduction
Sustainable Development Goal1 (SDG 1or Global Goal 1) refers to “No poverty” , the number of people living in extreme poverty declined from 36 per cent in 1990 to 10 per cent in 2015. But the pace of change is decelerating and the COVID-19 crisis risks reversing decades of progress in the fight against poverty. New research published by the UNU World Institute for Development Economics Research warns that the economic fallout from the global pandemic could increase global poverty by as much as half a billion people, or 8% of the total human population. This would be the first time that poverty has increased globally in thirty years, since 1990.
In terms of social protection KSA offers an income guarantee program for low income households and people with disabilities, as well as the Citizen Account Programme, which compensates Saudi households on a monthly basis for higher living costs, such as energy prices and VAT. Over 12 million Saudi households take part in this program (which represents around 60% of the total Saudi population). However, the program does not include non-Saudi population, which could be a significant determinant of inequalities, given the large non-Saudi representation in KSA.
The maximum cut-off for eligibility to the Citizens Account Programme is SAR 18,511 (USD 4,932), implying a relatively generous program. For reference, the support for a family of six3 (four kids aged 18 year or less and a wife) earning up to SAR 5,000 (USD 1,330) is SAR 980, which represents about 20% of their income. Still, there is little differentiation in benefits according to income. The current design can be improved to better address inequalities by further splitting benefits for lower income levels. In addition, KSA has reduced the number of beneficiaries by over 1 million to the program after an overhaul in April 2020, with changes in eligibility rules, upper limits for pay-outs and the suspension of new applications. This change, coupled with the new tax increases in 2020 could significantly impact families as well as single beneficiaries, potentially broadening income inequalities.
Imam Mohammed Bin Saud Islamic University strives to improve people's quality of life, it is always generating charity events, there is a policy within the university to motivate people to do community work, on the other hand the university supports research projects who can contribute to the community, support small and medium-scale ventures, strives to provide support to their students and the community in general.