In its counter-terrorism efforts, a high-level panel from the UAE performed a four-day mission in the USA to promote collaboration and partnership between the two nations in combatting terror financing and maintaining international financial security. UAE delegations were led by the General Secretariat of the National Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism and Financing of Illicit Organisations (GS-NAMLCFTC).

As reported by WAM, the UAE delegation met with senior officials from US agencies, including the Departments of Treasury and FBI, the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation unit (IRS-CI), and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). The panel also engaged with people from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. Secretary-General of the General Secretariat and Vice Chairman of the GS-NAMLCFTC Hamid Saif AlZaabi stressed the significance of the UAE-US cooperation in maintaining international financial and economic security.

The talk featured exhibitions to private sector stakeholders from the US on the UAE’s National Strategy and Plan for fighting financial crime and a number of priority strategic assignments. It also examined the role of these measures in making a secure and sustainable business and investment environment, promoting trust among trade partners, and sustaining shared economic growth.

The UAE panel agenda included examining existing bilateral functional initiatives to further concentrate on priority matters such as maintaining regulatory coordination to ensure greater effectiveness in managing global financial challenges. The delegation also partook in the discussion of the Joint Task Force to Combat Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing, arranged by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in partnership with the US Treasury Department.

These measures represent an effective protection for individuals and organisations while also improving economic and other vital connections between the two countries. Since 2009, the UAE has been the biggest market for US exports in the Middle East and North Africa, with bilateral trade surpassing $31.4 billion in 2023.