RIYADH — Saudi Arabia has achieved several successes at the local and international levels in the anti-corruption field, thanks to the leadership's interest and concern for this sector, which is reflected through the unlimited support to the Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha) in a bid to enhance efforts aimed at protecting integrity and fighting corruption.

Saudi Vision 2030 has been keen to highlight the importance that the leadership has granted to anti-corruption efforts and enhance transparency and integrity principles to be among main factors necessary to realize the vision that came to reiterate the significance of adopting transparency as an approach for the country, stressing the lack of tolerance with all forms of corruption.

Saudi Arabia, under the reign of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, deputy prime minister and minister of defense, now has an anti-corruption road map that acts as a main pillar for Saudi Vision 2030 that aims at implementing reforms at all levels and limiting the risks of corruption threats.

Saudi Arabia is working hard to eliminate financial and administrative corruption, instilling the principles of transparency and justice, and economic reforms in a way that guarantees efficiency, protecting public money, realizing social and economic stability, enhancing investors' confidence, and continuing to improve Saudi Arabia's ranking in international classification related to integrity, transparency and anti-corruption.

Meanwhile, the Saudi Arabia, under its G20 presidency in 2020, held the first meeting for ministers concerned with anti-corruption in the group's countries. The meeting included discussing coordinated efforts to fight corruption in response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and several other subjects that were listed on the G20's anti-corruption action group agenda.

These agendas include enhancing international cooperation in anti-corruption efforts, GlobE Network that aims at enhancing non-official international cooperation among authorities concerned with anti-corruption, the high-level principles for G20 countries on: developing and implementing anti-corruption national strategies, utilizing ICT technologies to enhance integrity in the public sector, enhancing integrity in privatization processes and partnerships between the public and private sectors.

The meeting issued the first ministerial communiqué on anti-corruption field in G20 countries, which put a road map for G20 countries in the field and shedding light on cross-border vital issues, such as retrieving assets, transparency and beneficial ownership, deprivation of safe haven and foreign bribery.

Among the top outcomes of Saudi Arabia's G20 presidency is the GlobE Network that aims at enhancing international cooperation in the field of law enforcement for authorities concerned with anti-corruption, where Saudi Arabia contributed to supporting it with $10 million for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime for its being the umbrella supporting the initiative and the responsible office for the United Nations Convention Against Corruption.

The initiative also seeks to establish a global platform to facilitate the exchange of information among law enforcement institutions concerned with anti-corruption, launch a program to build capacities within the network for affiliates of anti-corruption authorities, especially in developing countries, and enhance benefits from the existing international law enforcement networks. — SPA