Counter-Terrorism from Within Assessing Saudi Arabia’s Religious Rehabilitation and Disengagement Programme

Countering Radicalization Terrorism Disengagement Programmes

Following a series of deadly domestic terrorist attacks in 2003, the government of Saudi Arabia began an ambitious and wide-ranging counter-terrorism effort. In addition to traditional security and law enforcement efforts to kill and capture terrorists, a parallel strategy was launched to combat the ideological justifications for violent extremism within the kingdom. This ‘soft’ counter-terrorism strategy is made up of three components: prevention programmes to deter people from getting involved with violent extremism, rehabilitation programmes designed to encourage supporters and sympathizers to renounce violence, and aftercare programmes to prevent recidivism and to reintegrate people back into Saudi society.