Manama: The State of Qatar took part in the 41st Plenary Meeting of the Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force (MENAFATF), hosted in Manama, Bahrain, with representatives from member states and international organizations committed to combating money laundering and terrorist financing.
According to Qatar News Agency, Qatar's delegation was led by HE Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad bin Mubarak Al-Thani, Head of the Qatar Financial Information Unit and Member of the National Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing Committee. The delegation also included Mohammed Sareea Al Kaabi, Acting Secretary-General of the committee, alongside other committee members.
The meeting gathered senior officials from member and observer countries and organizations specializing in anti-money laundering, counter-terrorism financing, and arms proliferation. The event aimed to strengthen regional and international efforts to protect economic systems from these crimes' risks and mitigate their impacts.
A key feature of the 41st MENAFATF meeting was a workshop focused on sharing experiences regarding the current mutual evaluation round and implementing the latest Financial Action Task Force (FATF) standards. Malaysia and Latvia shared their experiences and key lessons learned, contributing to enhanced knowledge exchange among members and bolstering efforts to improve anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing systems.
MENAFATF honored Qatar for its significant contributions to the group's work over the past two years. Mohammed Sareea Al Kaabi received the award on behalf of Qatar, highlighting the country's active role in regional cooperation and capability development against financial crimes.
Qatar's initiatives include hosting the 9th edition of the MENAFATF Typologies and Capacity Building Workshop in 2024, which involved over 250 specialists. Additionally, Qatar will host two workshops as part of MENAFATF's training plan for 2026, further supporting capacity-building programs and partnerships among member states.
Qatar reaffirmed its commitment to enhancing its national system in alignment with Qatar National Vision 2030 and international FATF standards. The country is preparing for the upcoming evaluation process in 2028 by continuing to develop legislation, supervision, and operational procedures to ensure effectiveness in combating money laundering and terrorist financing.