Amman, April 28 (Petra) -- The second international meeting of counter-terrorism centers of excellence will commence Tuesday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

According to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the meeting will focus on the impact of modern technologies on terrorist financing, featuring representatives from the UN, as well as international and regional centres.

The Terrorist Financing Targeting Centre, established in Riyadh, serves as a multilateral entity aimed at enhancing cooperation among seven countries: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait and the United States to disrupt terrorist financing networks.

The centre's objectives include facilitating coordination, sharing information and building capacity to target terrorist financing networks, as well as countering other activities that threaten the national security of member states.

It seeks to leverage the expertise of participant countries, target criminal networks and identify regional partners, equipping them with the necessary capabilities to combat terrorist financing within their territories.

The centre coordinates actions such as imposing sanctions or other measures against terrorists, dismantling their financing networks and providing specialised support to participants needing capacity building.

The support includes organising workshops on best practices aligned with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) standards.

Saudi Arabia, represented by the Presidency of State Security, and the United States, represented by the Department of the Treasury, co-chair the centre, with participation from the UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait.

The centre aims to raise regional awareness of the risks associated with terrorist financing and emerging threats, enhance partnership and coordination between Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and the United States and target individuals associated with terrorists designated by member states.

It has played a significant role in fostering the exchange of expertise and enhancing training efforts.

The establishment of the Terrorist Financing Targeting Centre is part of Saudi Arabia's ongoing commitment to combat terrorism and its financing at local, regional and international levels.

//Petra// AK

28/04/2025 19:45:37