The Dogma of Development

Notions of development, capacity building and empowerment dominate the Saudi aid landscape today just as much as they dominate the landscape of aid worldwide. Through a discussion of the Majid Society for Development and Social Services (Jamʿiyyat Mājid bin ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz li-l-Tanmiya wa-Khidamāt Ijtimāʿiyya), a charity established in Jeddah in 1998, this article examines how the idea of development has entered the Saudi aid landscape. The analysis of the Majid Society’s practices shows that Islam continues to be an important resource for development-oriented charity organisations in Saudi Arabia. The article is based on fieldwork in Jeddah and Riyadh between 2009–2013 and 2019–2020 and a qualitative empirical approach that centres on semi-structured narrative interviews, textual analysis and participant observation at the Majid Society