New rules from the Saudi government have been put in place to make it harder for charities in Saudi Arabia to become donators to extremists causes both inside and outside of the Kingdom, according to a report.
The Saudi Public Prosecution has banned the establishment of private websites to collect donations for charitable work outside the kingdom, in the latest proactive effort to stop funds being sent to terror groups, the Saudi Okaz newspaper reported, which was republished in English in the Middle East Monitor (MEMO) website.
A statement issued by the government body explained that the punishment for anyone who is proven to have committed a cybercrime by creating websites for terrorist organizations will be up to ten years in jail and a fine of up to five million riyals ($1.3 million), MEMO said. Earlier this month, the Saudi security authorities announced the arrest of 3,719 online beggars across the kingdom, noting that funds seized from them had been handed over to the competent authorities.
Saudi Arabia has methodically undertaken a long campaign to eradicate terrorism and extremism not just from within its own borders, but to eliminate any funds and support that is sent – purposefully or inadvertently – from Saudi Arabia abroad. The Kingdom has implemented robust policies across its banking and financial sectors that aim to stem the flow of any money into the pockets of terrorists and extremist organizations.
The U.S. State department has lauded Saudi Arabia’s efforts and successes in fighting terrorist financing. Saudi Arabia and the United States co-lead the Terrorist Financing Targeting Center (TFTC), an initiative founded in 2017 to increase U.S.-Gulf multilateral collaboration to counter terrorist financing. In 2020, TFTC members imposed sanctions against six individuals and entities affiliated with ISIS.
Saudi Arabia is a member of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog. Its FIU, the Saudi Arabia Financial Investigation Unit, is a member of the Egmont Group, organization that facilitates cooperation and intelligence sharing between national financial intelligence units to investigate and prevent money laundering and terrorist financing. Saudi Arabia is also a co-lead of the Defeat-ISIS CIFG and a co-lead with the United States of the Riyadh-based TFTC, according to the U.S. State Department.
