Saudi Arabia is urging the global community to enhance cooperation to prevent extremist groups from leveraging artificial intelligence and other cutting-edge technologies. At a United Nations General Assembly session focused on strategic capacity building, Abdulaziz Alwasil, Saudi Arabia’s Permanent Representative to the UN, stressed the importance of nations collaborating by sharing knowledge, bolstering national capabilities, and investing in long-term initiatives to tackle emerging security threats.
Alwasil cautioned that the swift evolution of technology offers extremist organizations new avenues for recruitment, propaganda dissemination, funding, and operational planning. He highlighted the situation in Yemen, where groups like the Houthi militia and Al-Qaeda are reportedly attempting to harness technologies such as drones and other sophisticated systems. Alwasil emphasized the necessity for governments to enhance their readiness to counter the increasingly advanced tactics employed by terrorist networks.
The Saudi representative underscored that combating terrorism effectively involves more than just military and security measures. He argued that robust institutions, modern legal frameworks, international collaboration, and continuous investment in human and technical expertise are critical in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism. Alwasil also mentioned that capacity-building initiatives should be customized to meet the unique requirements and priorities of individual countries and executed in close partnership with their governments to ensure enduring impact.
Highlighting Saudi Arabia’s role in international counterterrorism efforts, Alwasil noted the Kingdom’s pivotal involvement in founding the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre in 2011, contributing $110 million to aid member states in implementing the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. Saudi Arabia is also actively involved in efforts such as the Global Counterterrorism Forum, the Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh, and the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition. Furthermore, the Kingdom established the Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology, Etidal, which employs advanced technology to monitor extremist content, counteract online propaganda, and raise public awareness.
Alwasil also highlighted Saudi Arabia’s continued support for Yemen’s internationally recognized government, noting that the Kingdom has worked to fortify the country’s security institutions in collaboration with local authorities. These actions, he stated, have enhanced the ability to identify and disrupt financial and logistical networks aiding terrorist organizations while preventing the transfer of advanced technology and military capabilities to extremists. According to Alwasil, these initiatives have bolstered security and stability by reducing opportunities for terrorist groups to exploit instability and expand their operations.
