Interpol to open office in Saudi Arabia

Interpol will open an office in Saudi Arabia to serve the Middle East and North Africa region, according to the official Saudi press agency.

The agreement was signed by Hicham Faleh, undersecretary of the kingdom's Ministry of Interior, and Jurgen Stock, secretary-general of the international police organization. Saudi Interior Minister Prince Abdul Aziz bin Saud bin Nayef and Major General Ahmad Nasser al-Raisi, president of Interpol, were also present at the ceremony, the Saudi press agency reported.

Participants discussed Interpol's activities during a meeting attended by Nasser al-Dawoud, deputy minister of the Interior, Brigadier General Abdel Malik al-Saqih, director general of Interpol in Saudi Arabia, and other senior officials.

According to Interpol's website, this new regional office — which was first proposed in 2016 during a meeting of Interpol police chiefs for the MENA region — aims to be a hub for the organization's activities to help member countries combat transnational crime and terrorism. It "will also work closely with existing national and regional structures, such as the Arab Interior Ministers Council, GCCPOL, and the Naif Arab University for Security Sciences, to enhance cooperation and information sharing," according to the statement released Thursday. Additionally, the next steps to finalize the creation and opening of the regional office will address financial, administrative, security and logistical aspects.