RIYADH — Thirty-three participants, representing a number of the concerned authorities, attended the Anti-Money Laundering Permanent Committee (AMLPC) organized workshop titled "Financial Investigations related to Money Laundering Crimes linked to Smuggling" at the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) headquarters here.

Participants included members from the Ministry of Interior (the General Directorate of Public Security and the General Directorate for Narcotics Control), the Presidency of State Security (the General Department of Financial Intelligence “SAFIU”), the Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha), the Public Prosecution, the Ministry of Commerce, the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority, the Saudi Central Bank, and the Permanent Committee for Legal Assistance Requests.

The workshop, which is part of the second phase of the technical assistance program, aimed to assist specialists from the concerned authorities in enhancing and developing their capabilities, and providing them with the necessary skills in conducting financial investigations, prosecutions and asset recovery in money laundering crimes. In addition, the workshop focused on enhancing the capabilities to increase international cooperation through formal legal assistance requests.

On this occasion, AMPLC Vice Chairman Adel Al-Qulish expressed his deep appreciation for the participants from all concerned authorities for their active participation in this program, wishing that the program will achieve the desired goals. He stressed that the continuation of such programs will contribute to the development of work processes in the concerned authorities, as well as raise the capabilities of their specialists in combating this crime, which reaffirms Saudi Arabia's commitment to applying the international standards and requirements in this regard.

He noted that the second phase of the technical assistance program consists of 12 training workshops, divided into 3 groups, each group holds 4 financial investigation training workshops. To date, 4 workshops for 33 participants have been held, and during the coming period, 8 training workshops will be held, divided into two other groups, with the aim of offering opportunities to the maximum number of participants of the concerned authorities to benefit from this program.

The National Strategic Objectives and the National Action Plan to combat money laundering and terrorist financing approved by the leadership, included in one of its objectives “Strengthening the training programs held for the concerned authorities through holding workshops in the field of developing methods of investigation and prosecutions in money laundering cases”. — SPA