Terrorist Financing Targeting Center 'TFTC': Distinguished and Effective Efforts on Combating Terrorism and its Financing

Riyadh, April 28, 2025, SPA -- Established in Riyadh on May 21, 2017, the Terrorist Financing Targeting Center (TFTC) serves as a multilateral entity that strengthens cooperation between seven countries, which, along with Saudi Arabia, includes the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, and the United States, to disrupt terrorist financing networks and related activities of common interest.
The TFTC aims to facilitate coordination, information sharing, and capacity building to target terrorist financing networks and related activities of mutual concern that pose national security threats to the member states. It also leverages the participants’ existing expertise to target specific terrorist finance networks, providing regional partners with the capacity they need to combat the financing of terrorism within their own borders.
In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s pursuit of increasing cooperation, coordination, and the mutual understanding of terrorist financing distribution, the TFTC was established based on the memorandum of understanding on combating the financing of terrorism signed among the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states and the United States (US), which led to further measures taken in this regard in accordance with the principle of mutual benefit.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has actively and effectively contributed to TFTC efforts which inaugurated its headquarters on October 25, 2017. The TFTC complements existing bilateral information sharing and operational relationships among participating states, focusing on identifying, tracking, and sharing information regarding terrorist financing networks and related activities, including threats from terrorist organizations.
The TFTC coordinates action, such as joint sanctions designations or other disruptions against terrorists and financial networks, and offers experts support to participants that need assistance building capacity to counter terrorist finance including holding workshops on best practices in accordance with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) standards.
The TFTC is co-chaired by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, represented by the Presidency of State Security, and the United States, represented by the Department of Treasury, with membership of UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, and Kuwait.
The TFTC Executive Committee meets quarterly to define the strategic direction of three action lines: designations, information sharing, and capacity-building, as well as to facilitate and coordinate joint countermeasures.
Since the establishment of the TFTC, Saudi Arabia and member states have coordinated seven joint sanctions designations of 97 individuals and entities affiliated with various terrorist organizations.
On capacity-building of the TFTC, Saudi Arabia, in partnership with the member states, has hosted, contributed, and participated in 23 workshops in line with the United Nations Security Council Resolutions (UNSCRs) on combating terrorism and terrorist financing and the FATF standards on combating money-laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation. In addition, six brainstorming sessions addressed the emerging threats. Also, it has contributed to and participated in the TFTC fellowship initiative program (stages one and two) directed to medium experts on the CFT measures and requirements.
To enhance the "capacity-building" to extend the knowledge on emerging risks, member states have participated with delegates from law enforcement agencies, supervisory authorities of financial institutions and designated non-financial businesses and professions, judicial authorities, and non-profit organizations. International organizations participated as well, such as the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team of the United Nations Security Council Committee on ISIL (Daesh) and Al-Qaida.
The TFTC has enhanced regional understanding of the risks posed by terrorist financing and the relevant emerging risks. It has also boosted coordination and partnership between the GCC member states and the US, nominated names affiliated or associated with terrorist organizations designated at a national level, and contributed to the exchange of expertise and increasing training and capacity building.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has distinguished and effective efforts in combating terrorism and its financing locally, regionally, and internationally.
The Kingdom's efforts in combating terrorism and its financing are reflected through its commitment to the United Nations Security Council resolutions and the United Nations agreements related to combating terrorism and its financing, its implementation of the FATF standards, and its membership in relevant organizations and platforms, as well as contributing through its membership in relevant organizations and platforms to provide technical assistance or technical capacity building to requesting countries, provide technical and financial contributions to international and regional initiatives and programs, and host relevant conferences, workshops, and meetings, in addition to the Kingdom's role in promoting international cooperation and building partnerships on countering terrorist financing crime.
Researchers and those interested in the work of the TFTC can visit the website through: https://www.tftc-istehdaf.org.
-- SPA