The United Arab Emirates and Spain have taken a significant step to deepen bilateral cooperation on combating money laundering and terrorist financing, as senior officials from both countries met in Madrid for high-level discussions focused on financial crime enforcement.
The visit was led by the General Secretariat of the National Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism and Proliferation Financing Committee. The delegation brought together representatives from justice, law enforcement, financial intelligence, prosecution, and asset recovery authorities from the UAE and Spain.
Meetings were held with key Spanish institutions, including the Ministry of the Presidency, Justice and Relations with Parliament, Spain’s Financial Intelligence Unit SEPBLAC, Policía Nacional, Guardia Civil, and specialised prosecution offices. Discussions centred on enhancing operational cooperation, strengthening information-sharing frameworks, and improving coordination across investigations, extradition processes, and asset recovery efforts.
The agenda covered strategic leadership on AML, CFT, and CPF matters, financial intelligence cooperation, targeted financial sanctions, trade-based money laundering, cross-border cash movements, and asset tracing and recovery.
The UAE delegation included senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Interior, Public Prosecution, the Financial Investigation Unit, and other federal authorities involved in financial oversight and enforcement.
Both sides described the exchanges as constructive and valuable, highlighting their role in strengthening international cooperation and mutual understanding. The discussions also reflected the UAE’s continued commitment to enhancing its AML, CFT, and CPF framework and its preparedness for the ongoing Financial Action Task Force mutual evaluation process.
The visit builds on long-standing cooperation between the UAE and Spain, including a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty in force since 2010. The meetings concluded with agreement to continue technical exchanges and establish a structured strategic dialogue to support effective cross-border collaboration.
News Source: Emirates News Agency
