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Saudi Arabia Launches Training Program to Combat Money Laundering, Terrorism Financing

Director-General of Saudi Arabia’s Financial Academy Mana bin Mohammed Al-Khamsan. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Director-General of Saudi Arabia’s Financial Academy Mana bin Mohammed Al-Khamsan. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia Launches Training Program to Combat Money Laundering, Terrorism Financing

Director-General of Saudi Arabia’s Financial Academy Mana bin Mohammed Al-Khamsan. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Director-General of Saudi Arabia’s Financial Academy Mana bin Mohammed Al-Khamsan. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia has unveiled a new training program to fight money laundering and terrorism financing. The initiative targets leaders in financial and non-financial sectors across the country.

The announcement was made during the "Arab Forum for Anti-Corruption Agencies and Financial Intelligence Units," a two-day event sponsored by Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, in Riyadh.

The 18-month program aims to train personnel to better prevent, analyze, and report illegal activities. It also seeks to improve information sharing between financial institutions and regulatory bodies, bolstering the overall integrity of the financial system.

The program, presented by Mana bin Mohammed Al-Khamsan, Director-General of Saudi Arabia’s Financial Academy, is a joint effort with the Kingdom’s state security and an international consultancy.

Al-Khamsan stressed the importance of combating financial crimes and highlighted the academy’s commitment to providing specialized training and certifications.

Aligned with Saudi Arabia’s national transformation plan, Vision 2030, the academy aims to support entities combating corruption and financial crimes. It has conducted over 500 training programs benefiting thousands of professionals from various sectors.

Al-Khamsan emphasized the value of professional certifications in boosting workforce efficiency, noting partnerships with respected international associations and institutions.

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Washington Urges Israel to Extend Cooperation with Palestinian Banks

A West Bank Jewish settlement is seen in the background, while a protestor waves a Palestinian flag during a protest against Israel's separation barrier in the West Bank village of Bilin in 2012. (AP)
A West Bank Jewish settlement is seen in the background, while a protestor waves a Palestinian flag during a protest against Israel's separation barrier in the West Bank village of Bilin in 2012. (AP)
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Washington Urges Israel to Extend Cooperation with Palestinian Banks

A West Bank Jewish settlement is seen in the background, while a protestor waves a Palestinian flag during a protest against Israel's separation barrier in the West Bank village of Bilin in 2012. (AP)
A West Bank Jewish settlement is seen in the background, while a protestor waves a Palestinian flag during a protest against Israel's separation barrier in the West Bank village of Bilin in 2012. (AP)

The United States on Thursday called on Israel to extend its cooperation with Palestinian banks for another year, to avoid blocking vital transactions in the occupied West Bank.

"I am glad that Israel has allowed its banks to continue cooperating with Palestinian banks, but I remain convinced that a one-year extension of the waiver to facilitate this cooperation is needed," US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Thursday, on the sidelines of a meeting of G20 finance ministers in Rio de Janeiro.

In May, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich threatened to cut off a vital banking channel between Israel and the West Bank in response to three European countries recognizing the State of Palestine.

On June 30, however, Smotrich extended a waiver that allows cooperation between Israel's banking system and Palestinian banks in the occupied West Bank for four months, according to Israeli media, according to AFP.

The Times of Israel newspaper reported that the decision on the waiver was made at a cabinet meeting in a "move that saw Israel legalize several West Bank settlement outposts."

The waiver was due to expire at the end of June, and the extension permitted Israeli banks to process payments for salaries and services to the Palestinian Authority in shekels, averting a blow to a Palestinian economy already devastated by the war in Gaza.

The Israeli threat raised serious concerns in the United States, which said at the time it feared "a humanitarian crisis" if banking ties were cut.

According to Washington, these banking channels are key to nearly $8 billion of imports from Israel to the West Bank, including electricity, water, fuel and food.