Saeed Hajeri addressed the Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force plenary session this week and outlined the UAE’s ongoing legislative reforms to strengthen financial oversight. The official highlighted the country’s successful implementation of recommendations that led to its removal from the Financial Action Task Force grey list in 2024. Hajeri stressed that such measures form part of a broader strategy to align with global standards on anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing. A World Bank assessment found that developing economies lose roughly $1.2 trillion annually to illicit financial flows, a figure that has prompted heightened regional coordination.
The Emirates News Agency reported that Hajeri pointed to enhanced information-sharing protocols the UAE has established with partner nations across the MENA region. These agreements have facilitated joint investigations into cross-border money laundering cases in recent years. The official noted that the UAE’s Financial Intelligence Unit has expanded its analytical capabilities to handle a rising volume of suspicious transaction reports. MENAFATF data shows member states recorded a collective increase in such reports of more than 25 percent between 2022 and 2025.
Hajeri, who chairs relevant UAE committees on financial integrity, called for continued capacity-building initiatives among task force members. He referenced training programs hosted by the UAE that have already trained officials from several neighboring countries on digital asset regulation. The plenary session also reviewed progress on mutual evaluation processes scheduled for completion across the bloc by the end of 2027. Emerging risks tied to virtual currencies and trade-based laundering dominated discussions, according to the Emirates News Agency account.
Public Authority for Statistics data from the UAE places the country’s financial sector contribution to gross domestic product at more than 8 percent in 2025, underscoring the importance of maintaining its reputation for integrity. Hajeri told delegates that sustained international cooperation remains essential to protect legitimate economic activity from criminal exploitation. The UAE has ratified key international conventions on financial crime and participates actively in global forums beyond the MENA framework.
The meeting concluded with agreement on updated guidance for supervising non-profit organizations and real estate transactions, sectors identified as vulnerable in prior assessments. Hajeri reaffirmed that the UAE would continue to share its technical expertise through bilateral and multilateral channels. A separate PwC review of GCC financial regulation noted that the UAE has invested more than $300 million in compliance technology since 2020, a commitment that has yielded measurable improvements in detection rates.
