Qatar Advances In 2025 Global Philanthropy Environment Index

Doha, Qatar: The Regulatory Authority for Charitable Activities (RACA) announced Thursday that the State of Qatar has made significant progress in the 2025 Global Philanthropy Environment Index (GPEI).

According to Indiana University's Lilly Family School of Philanthropy revealed in its 2025 Global Philanthropy Environment Index (GPEI) report that Qatar has made significant progress in developing its philanthropic environment. Qatar achieved a notable leap in the overall index, reflecting the substantial transformations in the philanthropic sector over the past seven years, surpassing the global average of 3.49 and ranking among the highest in the Arab world.

According to the report, Qatar's overall philanthropic environment index rose from 2.07 in 2018 to 2.58 in 2022, reaching 3.61 in 2025, which is considered one of the highest growth rates among the evaluated countries.

In a press statement on this occasion, Director General of the RACA Ibrahim Al Dahimi said: "This achievement reflects Qatar's steadfast commitment to enhancing institutional philanthropy, entrenching a culture of giving, and developing the non-profit sector as a pillar of community and national development. Since its establishment, the authority has gone through a phase of foundation and building between 2015 and 2017, focusing on building the legislative and regulatory system. It then moved to the phase of institutional transformation and empowerment from 2018 to 2024 through an integrated strategy aimed at entrenching governance, supporting transparency, developing institutional capacities, and expanding developmental partnerships locally and internationally. This phase played a fundamental role in elevating Qatar's position in international indices related to philanthropy."

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"What has been achieved today is the result of a comprehensive national institutional effort involving various governmental and charitable entities, which motivates us to continue working diligently to enhance Qatar's position as a regional and global reference in philanthropy, based on innovation, efficiency, and active contribution to achieving sustainable development," the Director General of the RACA added.

For his part, Rashid Mohammed Al Nuaimi, Director of Licensing and Support at the RACA, said that this is a qualitative achievement for the State of Qatar in the field of charitable work, represented by the progress made by the country in the 2025 GPEI, issued by Indiana University, USA, thus exceeding the global average of 3.49, and being among the highest rates in the Arab world. He indicated that this progress is a clear reflection of the legislative and regulatory development, institutional integration, growing community awareness, and a national culture rooted in giving and solidarity witnessed by the charitable work environment in the country, which is in harmony with the Qatar National Vision 2030 and enhances the role of charitable and humanitarian work as a partner in achieving sustainable development.

He commended the contributions of charitable and humanitarian organizations and associations in the country, who exert daily efforts to achieve a positive impact on people's lives, expressing his gratitude to every donor, contributor, and volunteer whose generosity has become a building block of this progress.

The report measures the philanthropic environment across six main pillars, including the ease of operating organizations, tax incentives, freedom of cross-border financial flows, and the political, economic, and social environment.

The Global Philanthropy environment Index (GPEI) is one of the most prominent international indices in this field. It was first launched in 2006 under the name "Philanthropic Freedom Index" by the Hudson Institute and then moved under the supervision of the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University in 2017.

The 2025 edition covers 91 countries and economies across 14 geographic regions, making it the most comprehensive global assessment of the philanthropic environment to date.

The report indicated that recent Qatari legislation, along with specialized government initiatives, contributed to creating a clear and flexible regulatory environment for establishing and operating charitable organizations.

It highlighted that regulatory bodies, led by the RACA, play an active role in oversight and providing the necessary legal framework to ensure transparency and accountability.

The report noted that Qatar's philanthropic environment benefited from the political stability and economic prosperity in the country, which provided charitable organizations with greater resources and capabilities to expand their work and develop their partnerships locally and internationally.

It pointed out that Qatar holds an advanced position in utilizing its charitable resources to support humanitarian and relief causes in conflict areas through organized and officially approved channels.

The report also highlighted the impact of national initiatives such as the "Tamkeen" program launched by the RACA to enhance the capacities of charitable organizations in governance, strategic analysis, institutional development, and networking, which helped improve the performance efficiency of many local organizations.

In the cultural and social dimension, the report noted that the deeply rooted Qatari culture of solidarity and giving, derived from Islamic teachings, provides a fertile ground for the flourishing of philanthropy, especially through practices of Zakat, Sadaqah, and seasonal giving during Ramadan. The Qatari people are increasingly aware of the importance of supporting civil society organizations in addressing societal issues and promoting sustainable development.

This report is a new international testament to Qatar's growing role in promoting philanthropy at both local and international levels, aligning with Qatar National Vision 2030, which places special emphasis on enhancing community participation, entrenching social justice principles, and achieving comprehensive and sustainable development.

To further this path, the RACA launched the Philanthropy Strategy 2030 at the beginning of 2025, aiming to build an effective, sustainable, and integrated philanthropic sector with developmental efforts, open to regional and international partnerships, focusing on governance, innovation, and digital transformation in philanthropy.

Recently, the RACA also launched the "Sandi" platform for coordinating internal aid, representing a qualitative leap in the mechanism of managing and distributing aid within the country. This platform contributes to unifying charitable efforts and facilitating and accelerating the procedures for receiving and reviewing aid requests submitted by individuals and families, ensuring efficient distribution and fair access to social services.

In a significant achievement reflecting the credibility and commitment of the Qatari philanthropic sector to international standards, Qatar made substantial progress in the 2023 mutual evaluation results with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), where the report praised the development of legislation and regulatory systems related to combating money laundering and terrorist financing, particularly concerning the non-profit sector. This is considered an international testament to the efficiency of the regulatory and oversight infrastructure for philanthropy in the country.

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