The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia persisted in working closely with international counterparts to deploy a broad and well-resourced counterterrorism strategy that included robust security measures, threat detection and deterrence, efforts to counter terrorist financing and counter-radicalization measures.

Recently, Saudi Arabia executed three citizens for perpetrating acts of treason against the Kingdom, the Ministry of Interior announced. According to the ministry, the three citizens were blamed for providing support to terrorist entities, communicating with them, assuming a terrorist approach that permits the shedding of blood, money, and honour, and inciting people to carry out terrorist acts to undermine the security and stability of society. The individuals, Talal bin Ali bin Khanifis Al Hudhli, Majdi bin Muhammad bin Attian Al Kaabi and Rayed bin Amer bin Matar Al Kaabi, were directed to the Public Prosecution where they were seized. 

The Saudi government persisted in working with the United States via Saudi-funded and U.S.-implemented programs that, among other purposes, improved the country’s counterterrorism capabilities. Projects included providing training to defend critical infrastructure sites such as maritime ports, aviation, oil outlets, power grids, and desalination factories from terrorist threats. Saudi Arabia also partook in multilateral meetings with Persian Gulf state counterparts aimed at enhancing regional CT cooperation.

Terrorist and violent extremist address on social media was monitored laboriously by the Saudi government and affiliated institutions and formed a major element of the Kingdom’s CVE strategy. Government officers regularly surveilled websites, blogs, chat rooms, social media sites, emails, and text messages. The law authorised the government to access a terrorism suspect’s personal communications and banking information in a manner incompatible with the legal protections supplied by the law of criminal procedure.