emirates7 - The UAE, through the General Secretariat of the National Committee for Combating Money Laundering, Terrorism Financing, and the Financing of Illegal Organisations (GS-NAMLCFTC), hosted a series of high-level discussions with a delegation from Kazakhstan's Financial Monitoring Agency (FMA-RK) in Abu Dhabi.
Senior officials, experts, and specialists in anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorism financing (CFT) participated in the meetings, which focused on bolstering bilateral cooperation and exchanging insights into cutting-edge practices for combating financial crime.
Hamid Saif AlZaabi, Secretary-General and Vice Chair of NAMLCFTC, underscored the significance of international collaboration between the UAE and Kazakhstan. He stated, "These regular sessions highlight the UAE's commitment to fostering global partnerships in tackling financial crimes, particularly amid evolving geoeconomic challenges." AlZaabi expressed pride in hosting strategic partners from Kazakhstan to discuss initiatives aimed at strengthening local and regional AML/CFT frameworks.
He further noted the active engagement of both nations in the Eurasian Group under the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), reflecting a shared dedication to addressing cross-border financial crimes. "By sharing expertise and information, we continue to refine strategies and stay ahead of emerging trends in this critical area," he added.
Janat Elimanov, Chairman of the Financial Monitoring Agency of Kazakhstan, praised the strong commitment of both countries to combat money laundering and terrorism financing. He highlighted the productive nature of the discussions in Abu Dhabi, which reviewed progress on joint initiatives and enabled the exchange of insights and lessons from national financial crime prevention systems.
Elimanov noted that both Kazakhstan and the UAE bring extensive expertise in technology, data, and systems, which enhanced the quality of the meetings.
Over the two-day event, GS-NAMLCFTC members provided an overview of the UAE's advanced risk assessment capabilities, including insights from the updated National Risk Assessment and Virtual Asset Risk Assessment. These findings are integrated into the UAE’s National Strategy for AML/CFT/CFP for 2024–2027, launched in late 2024.
The UAE presented updates on its AML/CFT efforts, showcasing key projects and national initiatives such as the "AML TRACK" platform. This secure, digital government network connects stakeholders, provides comprehensive analytical tools, and improves data accuracy and information governance to enhance the monitoring of financial crime trends.
The UAE also introduced its National Statistics Platform, an innovative digital system designed to improve data collection and accessibility, contributing to the availability of high-quality, accurate information.
Representatives from the Public-Private Partnership Forum discussed an initiative to enhance technical cooperation and dialogue between public and private sectors in combating financial crimes. This initiative establishes a legal framework for collaboration, aligning stakeholders with the updated National Risk Assessment and FATF international standards to mitigate financial crime risks.
The Kazakh delegation concluded its visit with a meeting at the UAE’s Financial Intelligence Unit, where both parties exchanged expertise and best practices for identifying financial crimes, particularly those involving virtual assets and emerging threats.
These discussions reaffirm the commitment of the UAE and Kazakhstan to strengthening cooperation in combating transnational financial crimes. By enhancing collaboration and expertise exchange, both nations aim to support global financial security and stability.
Senior officials, experts, and specialists in anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorism financing (CFT) participated in the meetings, which focused on bolstering bilateral cooperation and exchanging insights into cutting-edge practices for combating financial crime.
Hamid Saif AlZaabi, Secretary-General and Vice Chair of NAMLCFTC, underscored the significance of international collaboration between the UAE and Kazakhstan. He stated, "These regular sessions highlight the UAE's commitment to fostering global partnerships in tackling financial crimes, particularly amid evolving geoeconomic challenges." AlZaabi expressed pride in hosting strategic partners from Kazakhstan to discuss initiatives aimed at strengthening local and regional AML/CFT frameworks.
He further noted the active engagement of both nations in the Eurasian Group under the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), reflecting a shared dedication to addressing cross-border financial crimes. "By sharing expertise and information, we continue to refine strategies and stay ahead of emerging trends in this critical area," he added.
Janat Elimanov, Chairman of the Financial Monitoring Agency of Kazakhstan, praised the strong commitment of both countries to combat money laundering and terrorism financing. He highlighted the productive nature of the discussions in Abu Dhabi, which reviewed progress on joint initiatives and enabled the exchange of insights and lessons from national financial crime prevention systems.
Elimanov noted that both Kazakhstan and the UAE bring extensive expertise in technology, data, and systems, which enhanced the quality of the meetings.
Over the two-day event, GS-NAMLCFTC members provided an overview of the UAE's advanced risk assessment capabilities, including insights from the updated National Risk Assessment and Virtual Asset Risk Assessment. These findings are integrated into the UAE’s National Strategy for AML/CFT/CFP for 2024–2027, launched in late 2024.
The UAE presented updates on its AML/CFT efforts, showcasing key projects and national initiatives such as the "AML TRACK" platform. This secure, digital government network connects stakeholders, provides comprehensive analytical tools, and improves data accuracy and information governance to enhance the monitoring of financial crime trends.
The UAE also introduced its National Statistics Platform, an innovative digital system designed to improve data collection and accessibility, contributing to the availability of high-quality, accurate information.
Representatives from the Public-Private Partnership Forum discussed an initiative to enhance technical cooperation and dialogue between public and private sectors in combating financial crimes. This initiative establishes a legal framework for collaboration, aligning stakeholders with the updated National Risk Assessment and FATF international standards to mitigate financial crime risks.
The Kazakh delegation concluded its visit with a meeting at the UAE’s Financial Intelligence Unit, where both parties exchanged expertise and best practices for identifying financial crimes, particularly those involving virtual assets and emerging threats.
These discussions reaffirm the commitment of the UAE and Kazakhstan to strengthening cooperation in combating transnational financial crimes. By enhancing collaboration and expertise exchange, both nations aim to support global financial security and stability.