Nazaha, UNODC Sign Anti-Corruption Capacity Pact
Saudi Arabia's National Anti-Corruption Authority and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime agreed to joint integrity programs running through 2029.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in International Relations
Nazaha President Mazin bin Ibrahim Al-Kahmous and UNODC Executive Director Dr. Monica Gouma signed an agreement at UN headquarters in Vienna on November 6, 2026. The pact sets out capacity-building programs in integrity and anti-corruption, building on a memorandum of understanding signed in 2018.
Why it matters
The agreement formalizes a multi-year partnership between a national anti-corruption body and the UN's lead agency on the issue, aiming to strengthen institutional expertise in integrity work. It extends earlier cooperation into a defined program period.
The capacity-building programs are scheduled to run from 2027 to 2029, a three-year window that follows the original 2018 memorandum of understanding between the two parties. Specific budgets, participant numbers, and activity schedules were not disclosed in the source.
The players
Nazaha (National Anti-Corruption Authority of Saudi Arabia)
Nazaha is Saudi Arabia's national body responsible for combating corruption and promoting integrity across public institutions.
UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
UNODC is the United Nations agency that works on drug control, crime prevention, and anti-corruption through treaty support and technical assistance worldwide.
Mazin bin Ibrahim Al-Kahmous
Al-Kahmous is the president of Nazaha and signed the agreement on behalf of the Saudi authority.
Dr. Monica Gouma
Dr. Monica Gouma is the executive director of UNODC and signed the agreement on behalf of the UN agency.
The details
The signing took place at UN headquarters in Vienna and was attended by Saudi Ambassador to Austria Dr. Abdullah bin Khalid Towlah. The agreement aims to build institutional capacity in integrity and anti-corruption and to develop expertise in related fields through specialized programs and joint activities.
Timeline
2018: Saudi Arabia and UNODC sign the original memorandum of understanding.
November 6, 2026: Nazaha and UNODC sign the agreement in Vienna.
2027 to 2029: Capacity-building programs are scheduled to run.
Political Context
The agreement operates within the framework of the United Nations Convention against Corruption, which UNODC administers to provide technical assistance to member states. Multi-year partnerships of this kind extend the treaty's capacity-building goals into national institutions.
For citizens and institutions in Saudi Arabia, the agreement signals a multi-year national focus on integrity and anti-corruption training through 2029. Officials and partners involved in these programs will be directly affected by the planned activities.
The takeaway
Multi-year partnerships between national anti-corruption bodies and the UN can turn earlier memoranda into concrete program timelines. Readers following governance reform should watch whether the 2027 to 2029 programs publish budgets and outcomes.
Further reading
For broader context on multilateral cooperation, explore International Relations coverage.
