In order to address the changing threat of terrorist financing (TF) through emerging technologies, the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Center and the Saudi Presidency of State Security organized the Riyadh Roundtable, which brought together more than 100 senior delegates from regional and international organizations. With an emphasis on FATF Recommendation 15 and supervisory frameworks for virtual asset service providers, participants looked at the operational difficulties, typological changes, and regulatory vulnerabilities brought on by the misuse of digital financial tools. In addition to exhibiting best practices and technological advancements from regional organizations modeled after the FATF, the event focused on region-specific risk landscapes, blockchain analytics, and AI-supported detection systems. Enhancing institutional capacity, encouraging interagency collaboration, and integrating digital technologies that adhere to human rights standards into counterterrorism ecosystems were prioritized. A pledge to ongoing international cooperation, typology research, and the advancement of inclusive, rights-based strategies to combat crypto-enabled TF was made at the Roundtable’s conclusion.
