Counterterrorism
“I vow to my fellow citizens, and to the friends who reside among us, that the State will be vigilant about their security and well-being. Our nation is capable, by the Grace of God Almighty and the unity of its citizens, to confront and destroy the threat posed by a deviant few and those who endorse or support them. With the help of God Almighty, we shall prevail.”
- Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz after the triple explosions in Riyadh, May 13, 2003
International terrorism threatens the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, its allies and the global community. Defeating the terrorist enemy requires sound policies, concerted government efforts and international cooperation. In February 2005, Saudi Arabia hosted the first International Counter-Terrorism Conference in Riyadh at which the late King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz called upon the international community to establish an international centre to combat terrorism out of his firm belief that terrorism can be most effectively fought when nations work closely together in all areas, including the sharing of information. In 2008, the Kingdom pledged $10 million to the United Nations to establish the Centre and, in 2011, Saudi Arabia signed an agreement with the U.N. to launch the UNCCT. In 2014, Saudi Arabia provided the Centre with a donation of $100 million to enhance its capabilities and effectiveness in helping countries combat terrorism.
Terror networks thrive on illicit funding, often hiding behind charitable organizations. To combat this threat, Saudi Arabia has put in place one of the world’s strictest financial control systems to prevent funds going to support terrorism and works closely with the U.S., Britain, France, Italy, Canada, Australia and other allies to combat terror financing on a global scale. To counter the new threat from Daesh (ISIS/ISIL), Saudi Arabia, the U.S. and Italy are co-chairs of the Counter ISIL Finance Group (CIFG). CIFG was established in 2015 with the aim of enhancing the sharing of information and developing coordinated countermeasures to disrupt ISIL’s financing.
As home of the Two Holy Mosques of Islam, Saudi Arabia will not tolerate extremists who have misused religion to advance perverted agendas. Saudi officials and religious scholars have publicly and unequivocally condemned terrorist acts, and have aggressively sought to discredit deviant terrorist ideologies.