The UAE assumes the presidency of the MENAFATF group for the year 2026

The 41st General Meeting of the Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force (MENAFATF) announced at the conclusion of its work today in the Bahraini capital, Manama, that the UAE will assume the presidency of the group as of January 2026.

Hamed Al Zaabi, Secretary-General and Vice-Chairman of the National Committee to Combat Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism and Financing of Proliferation, will assume the duties of head of the group during the UAE presidency.

Hamid Al Zaabi said that the UAE welcomes its assumption of the presidency of the MENAFATF group for the year 2026, which is a responsibility that we are proud of in recognition of the confidence of member states, and reflects the country’s position in the field of confronting money laundering, terrorist financing, and financing the spread of armaments, praising the leadership of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and Samia Abu Sharif; Which contributed to the progress of the group’s work this year.

He stressed that they will continue, through the joint priorities of the UAE-Bahraini presidencies, to build on this strong foundation to push the regional action plan towards greater progress and effectiveness, explaining that the priorities will focus on strengthening international and regional cooperation, empowering the group’s secretariat to achieve a sustainable impact, and ensuring the readiness of member states for the fifth round of mutual evaluation processes.

The meetings were held during the period from 9 to 12 November 2025, with the participation of high-level delegations from the group’s member states, observers and international partners, and were concluded after a week of intense discussions that focused on strengthening regional cooperation in the field of combating money laundering, combating the financing of terrorism, and financing the proliferation of arms.

The sessions included meetings of the Financial Information Units Forum, the Risk Committee, the Terrorist Financing Operational Forum, the Mutual Evaluation Working Group, and the Technical Assistance and Application Models Team.

It is noteworthy that the “MENAFATF” group was established in 2004, and its membership includes 21 countries that share a commitment to protecting the integrity of their financial and economic systems. The UAE, in its capacity as president of the group, will work to strengthen regional efforts in confronting money laundering, combating the financing of terrorism, and financing the spread of arms.

The common priorities of the Emirati-Bahraini presidency include strengthening the group’s role in raising the readiness of member states for the third round of the mutual evaluation process and providing the necessary support to it, and continuing to strengthen the group’s governance system.

Common priorities also include: Continue to support the group in implementing and completing the work plan for the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) recommendations to increase the effectiveness of the group’s procedures and make them clearer and more targeted to achieve those recommendations, and to enhance cooperation and communication and raise the level of coordination with international and regional partners, in addition to observers and regional counterpart groups in line with the strategic plan and the group’s work plan in a way that supports the priorities of member states and improves compliance and effectiveness outcomes.

Priorities include strengthening implementation efforts for international standards by identifying and understanding the risks and trends of money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing, in addition to supporting logistical resources allocated to the FATF Secretariat headquarters for the Middle East and North Africa region.

Through its presidency of the group for the year 2026, the UAE affirms its firm commitment to supporting regional and international efforts in protecting the global financial system from financial crimes, enhancing cooperation and integration among the countries of the region, and contributing to building a more efficient and flexible regional system capable of facing future challenges, which reflects the prestigious position that the country enjoys within the global network of the Financial Action Task Force, its leadership in the field of confronting money laundering, terrorist financing and financing of proliferation, and its role in strengthening strategic partnerships and consolidating the principles of transparency. Integrity and compliance with international standards.