Joint Statement Between
The Ministry of Interior of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
and
the Department of Homeland Security of the United States of America

The Ministry of Interior of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (MOI) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have a long history of working bilaterally and regionally to promote mutual security and economic prosperity.  Both the MOI and DHS recognize that the development and promotion of these relations serves the joint interests of both the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States of America. 

In effort to reaffirm the extraordinary bond between them and advance this partnership, MOI and DHS have signed an arrangement to begin implementation for each nation’s trusted traveler programs.  The trusted traveler programs will facilitate trade and travel between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States of America and will help authorities from MOI and DHS more effectively identify potential threats to keep their borders and countries secure.  The objective will be to start implementation within the next six months with full operations starting in 2014.  

In addition, MOI and DHS note their emerging cooperation on cybersecurity.  MOI and DHS have a mutual interest in partnering to protect critical vital government and private sector critical infrastructure of binational importance, and to make cyberspace more secure for citizens of both countries.  Given the significance of each nation in the global economy, this partnership also contributes to global security.

Finally, MOI and DHS highlight the continuing effort in combating international security challenges in the areas of cyber crimes, physical infrastructure protection, and maritime security through the joint Office of Program Management-Ministry of Interior (OPM-MOI) initiative.  These areas signal further the strong bond between MOI and DHS and recognize the vital importance for both of cooperation in the security field.   

Jointly released in Washington on 16 January 2013.