The SEF was established in 1972; its main job was to control riots and demonstration alongside assisting other police forces in combating drug trafficking and criminals. After the
Grand Mosque seizure in 1979 and the ineffectiveness of the
Saudi Arabian National Guard in the Saudi decision of hostages, its role was strengthened. Since 1995, with the first terrorist attacks on Saudi soil in
Olaya, Riyadh, and then in 1996 in
Al Khobar, the center shifted to combating terrorism, and accordingly it retrained and reprogrammed its forces. In 2017, the
General Directorate of Investigations,
Special Security Forces, Special Emergency Forces, Security Aviation,
General Directorate of Technical Affairs, National Information Center were moved from the Ministry of the Interior to Presidency of State Security. Now there are 13 centers, controlling 35,000 men, around the
Kingdom to combat terrorism. In September of 2014, around 70,000 members of the Special Emergency Forces participated in providing security during the Hajj season. ==Similar units from other countries==