September-October 2025 - As part of the project, Fostering Cooperative Development in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the ILO organized two events in partnership with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD) and the Cooperative Societies Council (CSC) as part of their ongoing effort to advance a dynamic and sustainable cooperative movement in Saudi Arabia:
- a validation workshop on the Institutional Assessment of the Cooperative Societies Council (CSC) on 28 September 2025; and,
- a Training of Trainers (ToT) on Think.COOP and Start.COOP from 29 September 2025 to 8 October 2025.
© ILO
Validating the institutional assessment of the Cooperative Societies Council
Throughout the year, the ILO has been conducting an institutional assessment of the Cooperative Societies Council (CSC). The assessment evaluated CSC's effectiveness in representing the cooperative movement, its governance, and service delivery, and proposed actionable recommendations to strengthen its role in advancing a member-driven and sustainable cooperative sector. On 28 September 2025, the ILO organised a validation workshop in Riyadh to review the findings of its institutional assessment of the Cooperative Societies Council (CSC), the umbrella organization for cooperatives in Saudi Arabia.
The workshop gathered 21 representatives from MHRSD, CSC, the Social Development Bank, Cooperative Federations, FAO, Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water & Agriculture (MEWA), and the Agricultural Development Fund. Participants examined key areas of CSC's development including governance, cooperative identity, financial sustainability, and service provision and partnerships, and provided additional, context-specific inputs to refine the ILO's recommendations.
The finalized assessment will inform the development of a Strategic Plan for CSC, translating the validated recommendations into concrete actions and timelines aligned with the National Cooperative Strategy and Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030.
© ILO
Building cooperative capacity through Think.COOP and Start.COOP
To complement institutional strengthening, the ILO organized the first Training of Trainers (ToT) on its global cooperative training tools, Think.COOP and Start.COOP, from 29 September to 8 October 2025.
Think.COOP is a low-cost, easy-to-use tool designed for individuals interested in learning about and joining cooperatives, while Start.COOP supports groups in starting and launching cooperatives through a participatory approach.
Hosted by the Ministry of Housing and Municipalities and organized in collaboration with the MHRSD and CSC, the training gathered 24 participants (16 men and 8 women). Participants represented a wide range of institutions, including MHRSD, CSC, University of Bisha, Ministry of Agriculture, Tamkeen Center for Research and Studies, Al-Baha University, Ehtiraf Cooperative for Training and Consulting, a private consultancy office, the Aman Association for Protection from Abuse, King Saud University, the Agricultural Development Fund, the Commercial Concealment Program, MEWA, and the Social Development Bank.
Through interactive sessions, participants deepened their understanding of cooperative principles, entrepreneurship, and facilitation skills, laying the foundation for a national network of trainers capable of replicating the programme across the Kingdom.
As a next step, trained facilitators will conduct their own five-day training sessions with cooperatives, either under establishment or already operational, under the supervision of the ILO master trainer. Upon successful completion, participants will become ILO certified trainers on Think.COOP and Start.COOP, further expanding national capacity to promote cooperative entrepreneurship and education.
