MENAFATF Advisory Committee Concludes Meeting In Abu Dhabi With Focus On AML/CFT Improvements

The Advisory Committee of the Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force (MENAFATF) has completed its first 2026 meeting, held in Abu Dhabi on 12th and 13th January. Chaired by Hamid Al Zaabi, President of MENAFATF, the two-day gathering supported regional efforts against money laundering and terrorism financing, with wider implications for global financial stability.

The session formed part of the UAE’s presidency of MENAFATF and its leadership of the strategic agenda for 2026. This agenda seeks measurable outcomes that strengthen resilience in the global financial system, while supporting the stability, security, and prosperity of member states across the Middle East and North Africa.

Under the UAE’s chairmanship, MENAFATF continues to prioritise regional readiness for mutual evaluations and coordinated action. Member states are working on shared tools, assessment methods, and regulatory mechanisms designed to support a safe and sustainable financial system, reinforcing financial stability both within the region and internationally.

The second day of the meeting centred on a high-level session at the MENAFATF General Secretariat headquarters. Delegates reviewed the progress of existing working groups, discussed ways to improve their governance, and examined preparations for the next General Meeting. Participants also assessed MENAFATF’s planned role at the 15th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice.

In addition, the Advisory Committee addressed several agenda items linked to capacity building and operational efficiency. These discussions focused on enhancing technical performance, refining coordination structures, and ensuring that MENAFATF activities remain aligned with international standards for combating money laundering and terrorism financing across diverse financial sectors.

The first day’s programme featured field visits by the Advisory Committee delegation to the Emirates Institute for Financial Studies and the Abu Dhabi Global Market Academy. These visits highlighted the importance of capacity building, stronger governance frameworks, regulatory enhancement, and the exchange of technical expertise between training institutions and regional authorities.

The joint UAE–Bahraini Presidency is concentrating on turning international anti-money-laundering and counter-terrorism-financing standards into concrete results. This includes supporting member states as they prepare for mutual evaluations, updating MENAFATF governance structures, reinforcing the role of the Secretariat, widening regional training, and strengthening the skills of assessors and technical experts.

Emerging threats formed a key strand of the discussions under the UAE–Bahraini Presidency. Delegates examined risks linked to virtual assets, financial technology, and artificial intelligence, alongside efforts to improve cooperation on asset recovery. The meeting also explored ways to increase overall operational efficiency across MENAFATF’s activities and working arrangements.

Participants outlined priority workstreams that will guide MENAFATF implementation efforts in 2026, covering governance, partnerships, capacity building, and evolving financial risks, as shown below.

The outlined priorities also cover the development of institutional governance frameworks and internal structures within MENAFATF. These measures aim to improve Secretariat operations, deepen collaboration with the Financial Action Task Force and peer regional groups, and track new risks in digital finance and beneficial ownership transparency, consistent with standards on money laundering, terrorism financing, and proliferation financing.

By concluding its first 2026 Advisory Committee meeting in Abu Dhabi, MENAFATF, under UAE leadership, has reaffirmed its focus on coordinated regional action. The outcomes support stronger mutual evaluation readiness, more effective governance, and enhanced capacity building, all directed at maintaining a secure and sustainable financial system for member states and global partners.

With inputs from WAM