Saudi Arabia and INTERPOL agree to open MENA Regional Bureau

Saudi Arabia and INTERPOL have formalised an agreement to establish a new Regional Bureau for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), marking a significant development in international security cooperation. The Host Country Agreement, signed in Riyadh, will see Saudi Arabia host the bureau, which aims to enhance efforts in tackling transnational crime and terrorism across the region.

The agreement was signed yesterday by Saudi Assistant Minister of Interior Dr Hisham Bin Abdulrahman Al-Faleh and INTERPOL Secretary-General Jurgen Stock. The signing ceremony was attended by Saudi Interior Minister Prince Abdulaziz Bin Saud Bin Naif Bin Abdulaziz and INTERPOL President Major General Dr Ahmed Naser Al-Raisi.

In a press release issued today, INTERPOL stated, “The creation of a new INTERPOL Regional Bureau for North Africa and the Middle East (MENA) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has taken an important step forward.”

INTERPOL to Establish MENA Regional Office in Saudi Arabia.https://t.co/p2TILBqN3N#SPAGOV pic.twitter.com/58FUMfN2LX

— SPAENG (@Spa_Eng) January 29, 2025

The new bureau will serve as a hub for combatting transnational crime and terrorism, strengthening collaboration between INTERPOL and regional security entities.

The office will work closely with national and regional structures, including the Arab Interior Ministers’ Council, GCCPOL, and the Naif Arab University for Security Sciences. First proposed in 2016 at the INTERPOL Chiefs of Police Meeting for the MENA region, the initiative was endorsed by INTERPOL’s General Assembly in Santiago, Chile, in 2019, with final approval granted by the Executive Committee in May 2024.

During the signing event, Prince Abdulaziz met with the INTERPOL president to discuss the organisation’s efforts and issues of mutual interest. Other senior Saudi officials, including Deputy Interior Minister Dr Nasser Bin Abdulaziz Al-Dawood and Director of Public Security Lieutenant General Mohammed Bin Abdullah Al-Bassami, were also in attendance.

The next phase will focus on finalising financial, administrative, security and logistical arrangements to operationalise the Regional Bureau.

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