A top World Bank official has lauded Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman for lending his voice to the global anti-corruption agenda.

Leonard McCarthy, integrity vice president of the World Bank Group, said here on Sunday that Saudi Arabia is playing a leading role in the Arabian Peninsula, the Middle East and beyond.

“It has gathered people from the region and around the world in the name of fighting corruption and I hope this international conference in Riyadh catapults your institution onto a road of resolve and success,” said McCarthy.

Addressing the opening session of the two-day event, he said: “I anticipate that this conference will further galvanize Nazaha (the National Anti-Corruption Commission) and the country on its irreversible path of leading the fight against corruption in a very important part of the world.”

He observed the conference comes at a critical time when corruption is undermining stability across the region, preventing people from accessing even the most basic needs like food, health care and education, and fueling far-flung violence and terrorism.

“I have the utmost respect for those of you whose daily work forces you to confront these harsh realities. I hope that the advice and moral support you receive here bolster you and that the positive changes you bring are long-lasting.

“We are gathered in a country where positive change is afoot. In 2011, the first time I visited Saudi Arabia, the country had just before created its anti-corruption commission, Nazaha. On my second visit in 2013, it had become the 140th country to ratify UNCAC.

“What if we could capitalize on similar changes in 20 other countries, and leverage the technical and financial resources of institutions like the World Bank to help reform-minded officials turn things around,” he said.