A training workshop on the mechanisms of mutual legal assistance was opened in Riyadh on Sunday under the patronage of Interior Minister Prince Muhammad bin Naif, the Saudi Press Agency said. The four-day event is jointly organized by the Department of Legal Affairs at the Ministry of Interior and the Vienna-based UN Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC).

Addressing the event, Ministry Undersecretary and Head of Permanent Committee for Legal Assistance Dr. Ahmed Al-Salim said that rapid development in all walks of life led to the emergence of new types of crimes which necessitated global efforts to counter them.

He emphasized that mutual legal assistance plays a very important role in combating crimes. In response, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia established the Permanent Committee for Legal Assistance meant to exchange legal help in criminal issues.

The head of legal affairs and international cooperation at the Ministry of Interior Dr. Abdullah Al-Ansari said crimes need to be tackled with new and effective measures as well as agreements between countries to stand united against such crimes.

He said the workshop is aimed to raise staff efficiency working in the area of mutual legal assistance. It covers a series of topics such as legal and operational aspects of the UN criteria in this area, he said.

A number of legal specialists and experts from the public sector and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) as well as UN experts are joining the workshop, he said.