RIYADH – Saudi Arabia will officially host the Interpol regional office for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
Underlining the prominent international standing the Kingdom under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the MENA countries voted unanimously in favour of the kingdom to establish the Interporl headquarters in Riyadh.
The vote was held on the sidelines of a meeting held at the main headquarters of the international police organisation in Lyon, France.
Saudi Arabia was chosen due to the vital role it plays in combating extremism, terrorism and crime of all kinds, regionally and globally, the Asharq Al-Awsat reported.
The consensus among the countries reflects the trust in the kingdom’s keenness to support, promote and coordinate international and regional efforts.
How Interpol works?
Set up almost a century ago, Interpol was designed to help countries share police intelligence and cooperate against crime that crosses international borders, including terrorism and human trafficking. It now has 192 international members.
It is perhaps best known to the wider public for its “red notice” system, which issues requests to locate and provisionally arrest individuals pending extradition.
Interpol’s constitution also insists on its political neutrality, forbidding it from intervening in political issues.
