National Committee for Narcotics Control

The National Committee for Narcotics Control (NCNC) is a national committee concerned with combating and controlling drug use, in coordination with the agencies related to combating drugs in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The committee was established in 1985 and is chaired by a president by order of the Prime Minister. Its headquarters is located in the capital, Riyadh.

The committee is organizationally affiliated with the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers and enjoys administrative and financial independence. It may issue decisions to form work teams in all provinces of the Kingdom in order to carry out its activities. The committee has a private budget in a separate branch of the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers' budget under NCNC project.

The NCNC seeks to curtail the use of narcotic drugs in the Kingdom, increase public awareness of the dangers they pose to society, culture, and health, and coordinate the efforts of all governmental and non-governmental organizations engaged in drug control. It also offers self-support programs for recovering drug addicts, as well as treatment and rehabilitation programs, in addition to supporting studies and research on drug control, and leveraging relevant local, national, and international experiences.

The NCNC is responsible for a variety of tasks, most notably: developing national drug control policies; developing general narcotics and psychotropic substance policies; reviewing applicable drug control regulations and instructions; proposing amendments thereto; and formulating new regulations that advance drug control.

In coordination with the relevant entities at the Ministry of Interior, the NCNC is in charge of overseeing cooperation agreements with Arab and foreign countries and agencies in the area of drug control. The committee also creates audiovisual programs and specialized publications for all age groups to spread awareness of drug abuse. It also provides cutting-edge technology to facilitate coordination between NCNC and treatment and rehabilitation centers. Moreover, the committee sets frameworks and standards in certain fields in which civil society organizations can participate to support anti-drug activities and programs.

Once a year, the NCNC holds its regular meeting, which is attended by two-thirds of its members, including the chairman or his delegate. An extraordinary meeting may be called by the committee's chairman or by at least half of its members.

Experts and specialists in the fields of drug treatment, awareness, preventive education, and rehabilitation constitute the NCNC's preparatory subcommittee. Moreover, the chairman appoints the Secretary-General of the committee for a period of three years that can be extended once.