Interpol, the world’s largest international police organisation, has announced plans to establish a regional office for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) in Saudi Arabia.
The announcement followed the signing of a host country agreement on Wednesday, January 29, by Hisham Al-Faleh, Undersecretary at the Kingdom’s Ministry of Interior, and Jurgen Stock, Secretary-General of Interpol.
The signing ceremony was attended by Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud, Saudi Minister of Interior, and Major General Ahmed Naser Al-Raisi, President of Interpol, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
Additionally, Interpol’s activities and future initiatives were discussed during a meeting that included Nasser Al-Dawood, Deputy Minister of Interior; Brigadier General Abdulmalik Al-Saqeeh, Director General of Saudi Interpol; and other senior officials.
This move represents a significant step toward bolstering international security cooperation and combating transnational crime in the Middle East and surrounding regions. It is expected to enhance coordination, intelligence-sharing, and the overall effectiveness of regional law enforcement efforts.
In 2021, Saudi Arabia announced plans to attract international companies’ regional headquarters to combat “economic leakage,” a term used to describe government spending that could benefit non-dominant companies.
The Saudi Arabian the Ministry of Finance and the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA) announced a 30-year tax incentive package to encourage international companies to establish regional headquarters in the country, promoting regional growth.
The tax-relief package offers a zero-percent rate for corporate income tax and withholding tax related to approved regional headquarters activities.
