The Saudi deradicalization program is considered one of the most comprehensive and successful in the world and at its heart is the Mohammad Bin Naif Counseling and Care Center in Riyadh. The authorities of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia were among the first to realized that the fight against terrorism cannot be won with hard measures only, like police and military operations, but also requires soft measures: anti-radicalization and deradicalization efforts. The Bin Naif Center is the cornerstone of the Saudi deradicalization strategy. In addition of being one of the most complete deradicalization programs presently available, the Saudi’s is also one of the oldest, with the Bin Naif Center being established in 2004, in the aftermath of the Riyadh compound bombings, which killed more than thirty people. The government realized that Saudi terrorists were not only concerned in waging jihad abroad, but were actively seeking to target the Kingdom,[1]which was considered illegitimate according to Osama bin Laden himself. For many decades, the Saudi conservative position on religion and it strict Wahhabi interpretation of Islam facilitated was a conducive environment for the spreading of extremist ideas that led to the birth of a jihadist scene within the kingdom. However, this attitude has recently changed, as stated by a female member of the Shura Council, Hoda Abdulrahman al Helaissi, which stressed that issue arise from a false interpretation of religion, which is pushed by terrorist leaders to recruit new followers. The same was also stated by the director of the religious program of the Bin Naif Center, who stated that the country of Saudi Arabia works against terrorism by promoting Sharia law and moderation and the beneficiaries at the center are given the right interpretation of Islam. A very important aspect stressed during the religious training is that the king and only the king can sanction the call for jihad.

The Bin Naif Counseling and Care Center has its legal foundation in the 2014 Terrorism Crime Law (Royal Decree 16/M), more specifically articles 88 and 89, which state that specialized centers should be established for people convicted of terrorism charges to “correct their ideas and to deepen their national affiliation…”. Moreover, in 2016, after the shocking rise of ISIS and the never-before-seen amount of individuals that radicalize to join the terrorist organization as foreign fighters, the United Nations Human Rights Council urged all states to “adopt rehabilitation and reintegration strategies for returning foreign terrorist fighter…and to adopt a comprehensive approach that includes the development of national centers for counsel and deradicalization”.[2]What makes the Bin Naif Counseling and Care Center such an important deradicalization institution in the world is its comprehensiveness: the beneficiaries are not only given religious lectures to show them that their extremist interpretation has no basis in the Qu’ran; they also undergo social, psychological and cultural training to help them go back into society and nullify their dangerousness. The social program is especially important because it treat many different aspects of and individual’s personality. Since social disorders like impulsiveness or over-aggressiveness might be found in people who have spent many years in a terrorist group, I believe that the social training is the most important aspect of the Saudi deradicalization program. Another fundamental aspect of the Bin Naif Counseling and Care Center is its focus on teaching its beneficiaries skills that are going to be instrumental in finding a job once the program is over. While the Center does not guarantee them that they are going to be employed as soon as they leave the facility, it puts a lot of emphasis on providing the beneficiaries with vocational training, education (including at university level) and other precious social skills. Saudi Arabia was quick to realized that radicalization, and therefore terrorism, is often linked with personal dissatisfaction, including the lack of job opportunities. That is why I believe that this kind of support is once again a key component in the fight against extremism.

An additional factor of the Saudi deradicalization program that impressed me was the fact that the beneficiaries are never alone throughout their staying at the center. They are not considered social outcasts; on the other hand, the Center itself encourages family visits and also allows the beneficiaries to gradually spend time at home with their loved ones. This is particularly important for those convicted terrorism who have spent many years behind bard and missed many family development (like seeing your kids growing up for example). Family trauma can be another source for radicalization and this is why the center also provides help to the beneficiaries’ family members to better deal with the situation and make former terrorist feel more comfortable once they are released from the center. Since the tribal elements within Saudi society are still strong, the tribe itself plays an important role in the deradicalization process. Having a member of your tribe guilty of terrorism can be seen as dishonorable to the whole tribe, an insult to the king; therefore, the most prominent members of the tribe are actively involved in supporting the beneficiaries into getting back into society. Financial aid is also provided, including help to buy a car, and especially a house, which is often the foundation of starting a family. The Vision 2030 Program itself stresses the important role house ownership “plays in strengthening family security”[3]…and a strong family is a very good shield against falling prey to extremism.

Neighboring countries like Iraq and Yemen have used the program as a base for their deradicalization strategies; however, they had nor the funds nor the comprehensiveness of the Saudi’s, which is reflected in their lower success rate and more limited scope. In fact, both programs struggled with providing adequate post-release assistance,[4]a very important component of the Saudi deradicalization strategy. As of today, the Saudi program therefore remains the most complete deradicalization program, not only in the Middle East, but also globally. While its unique features and the different characteristics of Saudi society make its importation in the West impossible, European nations will definitely benefit from an increase knowledge of the Mohammad Bin Naif Counseling and Care Center and awareness of its deradicalization principles, especially now, with the territorial defeat of the Islamic State and the pressing issue of dealing with returnee foreign fighters, who might pose a very serious security concern[5] (both directly, as perpetrators of terrorist attack and indirectly, as propagandists or recruiters) in the future if not deradicalized.

19 Radicalisation Awareness Network, “RAN MANUAL Responses to Returnees: Foreign Terrorist fighters and their families”, July 2017, p. 23

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