Saudi Arabia Hosts First OIC Ministerial Meeting of Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement Agencies

Saudi Arabia Hosts First OIC Ministerial Meeting of Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement Agencies
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Saudi Arabia Hosts First OIC Ministerial Meeting of Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement Agencies

Saudi Arabia Hosts First OIC Ministerial Meeting of Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement Agencies

Saudi Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority will host the first ministerial meeting of the anti-corruption law enforcement agencies of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) members.

The meeting will be held in Jeddah on Dec. 20 and 21 to discuss several crucial topics, including the approval of the Makkah al-Mukarramah Convention in the organization’s anti-corruption law enforcement agencies.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation is the second largest international organization after the United Nations, with 57 members.

The convention seeks to achieve several goals, including strengthening cooperation between anti-corruption enforcement agencies through exchanging information and investigating cross-border corruption crimes among anti-corruption law enforcement agencies.

It will also address preventing and investigating corruption, prosecuting the perpetrators, denying safe havens for the corrupt, and recovering proceeds of crimes.

Saudi Arabia is keen to activate its international initiatives aimed at combating corruption by participating with the international community in efforts to protect the integrity and combat corruption, benefit and exchange experiences with other countries and international organizations.

It is done under the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) and in line with Vision 2030, which made governance, transparency, accountability, and combating corruption one of its main pillars.

Several heads and representatives of anti-corruption law enforcement agencies in the OIC will participate in the meeting.

The meeting will also include the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), the Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units, and several experts in protecting the integrity and combating corruption from Saudi Arabia and abroad.



Saudi Arabia Officially Reopens its Embassy in Damascus

Saudi Charge d'Affaires Abdullah al-Haris speaks at the reopening of the embassy in Damascus. (Saudi Arabia's embassy in Damascus)
Saudi Charge d'Affaires Abdullah al-Haris speaks at the reopening of the embassy in Damascus. (Saudi Arabia's embassy in Damascus)
TT

Saudi Arabia Officially Reopens its Embassy in Damascus

Saudi Charge d'Affaires Abdullah al-Haris speaks at the reopening of the embassy in Damascus. (Saudi Arabia's embassy in Damascus)
Saudi Charge d'Affaires Abdullah al-Haris speaks at the reopening of the embassy in Damascus. (Saudi Arabia's embassy in Damascus)

Saudi Arabia officially reopened on Tuesday its embassy in Damascus after a 12-year closure.

Saudi Charge d'Affaires Abdullah al-Haris made the announcement during the reopening in the Syrian capital. The inauguration ceremony was attended by several senior Syrian government officials and diplomats.

Al-Haris described the reopening as a historic day in relations between Saudi Arabia and Syria.

He underscored the embassy’s keenness on exerting all possible efforts to bolster bilateral relations between Riyadh and Damascus.

Saudi Arabia had named Faisal bin Saud al-Mujfel as its ambassador to Syria months after announcing that it was restoring diplomatic ties with Damascus.

He is the Kingdom’s first ambassador to Syria since 2012.

Riyadh and Damascus announced in October that they were restoring ties, days after Syria’s membership was reinstated in the Arab League. Flights between the two countries were also resumed.