Aml-Cft Cooperation: UAE And France Expand Joint Dialogue On Money Laundering And Terrorist Financing

A UAE delegation has agreed with senior French officials to launch a "Joint Strategic Dialogue on Combating Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing," strengthening bilateral coordination on financial crime. The initiative follows high-level meetings in France led by Hamid Al Zaabi, Secretary-General of the National Committee’s General Secretariat.

The new dialogue will focus on practical cooperation and information sharing between both countries. It aims to support law enforcement efforts, judicial coordination, work of the Financial Intelligence Unit, measures against terrorist financing, and joint capacity building, including structured exchanges of expertise in specialised financial crime areas.

These outcomes follow a series of meetings held by the delegation in the French Republic. The visit forms part of the General Secretariat’s wider strategy to deepen international partnerships, support effective global standards, and align UAE efforts with key partners engaged in tackling complex financial crime.

During the visit, the delegation met several senior French officials, including Gérald Darmanin, French Minister of Justice, and Claire Cherementenski, Deputy Director at the French Treasury. Talks examined ways to enhance international cooperation, promote experience sharing, support asset recovery, and strengthen joint work against money laundering and terrorist financing.

French officials praised the level of cooperation already in place with the United Arab Emirates. They highlighted the UAE’s role in regulating virtual assets, its progress in tracing and recovering assets, and the growing judicial collaboration between both sides in complex cross-border financial crime cases.

Discussions also covered future projects to deepen this partnership. Both parties reviewed options to expand operational links between authorities, streamline channels for information exchange, and coordinate more closely on major investigations. These steps are intended to reinforce financial integrity and support a stronger, rules-based international financial system.

Regional leadership in combating money laundering and terrorist financing

In connection with the UAE’s regional role, Hamid Al Zaabi invited the French side to attend the Fifteenth United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice. The event is scheduled in Abu Dhabi at the end of April and will gather international stakeholders focused on financial and organised crime issues.

The invitation was issued in Hamid Al Zaabi’s capacity as President of the Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force (MENAFATF). The Congress is viewed as an important forum for exchanging expertise, reviewing best practices, and supporting wider cooperation on money laundering, terrorist financing, and related financial offences.

Building capacity in asset recovery and combating money laundering

The delegation also held talks with Charlotte Hemmerdinger, Director of the French Asset Recovery Agency (AGRASC). Both sides explored organising a specialised regional workshop on asset recovery this year, reflecting the UAE’s MENAFATF presidency and the shared interest in enhancing regional skills in this technical field.

Officials agreed that such a workshop could improve capabilities across Middle East and North Africa countries. Discussions included potential programmes to host Emirati experts for training with French institutions, while also inviting French specialists to the UAE, supporting coordinated efforts in investigations, prosecutions, and the recovery of criminal proceeds.

Both countries already maintain a developed partnership on combating money laundering, terrorist financing and asset recovery, backed by practical judicial cooperation. Ongoing exchanges of expertise and technology, together with operational coordination between competent authorities, continue to underpin this relationship and support regional and international efforts to address financial crime.

With inputs from WAM