Saudi Arabia welcomes the US designation of the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist group

The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's welcome of the decision issued by the United States of America to designate the branches of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon as terrorist organizations. This welcome comes within the framework of the Kingdom's firm and unwavering stance against all forms of extremism and terrorism, and its continuous efforts to promote security and stability in the Arab region and the world.

Details of the US decision and the freezing of resources

In an escalation of its crackdown on the group's activities, Washington announced on Tuesday the designation of the Brotherhood's branches in the three countries as terrorist organizations. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio explained in an official statement that this designation represents "the first step in an ongoing effort to counter the violence and instability perpetrated by the Muslim Brotherhood wherever they are found." Rubio affirmed the United States' determination to use all available tools to deprive these branches of the financial and logistical resources that enable them to carry out or support terrorism.

For his part, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bisent emphasized that the group has a "long history of committing terrorist acts," noting that the US administration is working diligently to exclude the group from the global financial system. This decision entails freezing any assets the group holds within the United States, criminalizing any dealings with it, and imposing strict restrictions that impede the travel of its members to US territory.

Historical context and the firm Saudi position

The Saudi stance toward the Muslim Brotherhood is not new; the Kingdom has been at the forefront of warning against the dangers of groups that use religion as a cover to achieve political goals and destabilize countries. Saudi Arabia has designated the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization since 2014, a decision made in response to the security and ideological threats posed by the group. The welcoming of the American decision underscores the alignment of views between Riyadh and Washington on the necessity of cutting off the sources of terrorist financing and containing the extremist ideology that threatens the security of nation-states.

Egyptian welcome and regional dimensions

In parallel with the Saudi position, Cairo welcomed the American decision, which President Donald Trump had paved the way for since November 2025. The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the decision as a "significant step" that reflects a growing international awareness of the danger of the group's ideology and the direct threat it poses to regional security and stability.

Expected effects of the decision

This classification carries extremely important political and security implications at both the regional and international levels:

• Drying up financial resources: Excluding the group's branches from the U.S. financial system will complicate money transfers and activity financing, weakening its organizational capacity.
• International isolation: The decision lends greater international legitimacy to the actions taken by Arab countries such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the UAE against the group, further increasing its political isolation.
• Enhancing security cooperation: The decision opens the door to broader intelligence and security cooperation between the United States and countries in the region to pursue members of the group and dismantle its networks.

Through this welcome, the Kingdom affirms its full support for everything that achieves the security and prosperity of Arab countries, stressing the importance of concerted international efforts to eliminate terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.