Washington D.C., Oct. 31, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- With geopolitical tensions on the rise and urgent financial crime threats rapidly evolving, compliance professionals in the MENA region face unprecedented challenges. To equip anti-financial crime (AFC) practitioners in MENA with the latest guidance on navigating complex legal, regulatory and commercial circumstances, ACAMS, a leading global organization dedicated to combating illicit finance, will convene top regulators and financial industry leaders at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers in Dubai, UAE, from November 12-13.
The Assembly MENA 2024 will address swiftly changing sanctions regimes, emerging virtual asset threats, trade-based money laundering and the increasing expectation to use AI to detect suspicious activities. Attendees will gain insights from over 45 leading experts, including regulatory bodies, financial intelligence units and the private sector across more than 12 curated sessions, delving into:
- Managing sanctions evasion, with a focus on complying with multi-jurisdictional regimes and mitigating risks associated with U.S. Executive Order 14114.
- Countering prevalent fraud typologies in MENA, including cyber-enabled schemes and the exploitation of virtual assets to launder funds in borderless online markets.
- Evaluating the benefits and risks of AI in detecting suspicious transactions, with attention to potential vulnerabilities like algorithmic bias and flawed data.
Interactive formats such as power hours, deep dives and mini workshops will facilitate active participation and provide firsthand insights from industry leaders.
Experts will discuss strategies for managing secondary sanctions risk and designing effective screening protocols in the wake of new sanctions imposed on Russia and Iran. One major highlight is a session explaining how to implement systematic controls to combat cyber-enabled fraud, while maximizing information sharing to detect criminal activity and defend against cross-border fraud networks.
In a series of regulatory and executive roundtables, speakers will share upcoming regulatory priorities and discuss the high stakes of non-compliance. Additionally, panelists will highlight measures for thwarting human trafficking - an epidemic impacting over 49 million victims worldwide.
Expert speakers include:
- Ali Faisal Ba’Alawi, Chief FIU United Arab Emirates;
- Nicholas McNicholas, Senior Director and Head of Regulatory Affairs and Enforcement at the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority;
- Andrew Naylor, Head of Middle East and Public Policy, World Gold Council.
"As we meet in Dubai, the stakes are clear - sanctions compliance is becoming more complex, cross-border fraud more brazen, and geopolitical volatility more severe,” said ACAMS CEO Neil Sternthal. “The Assembly MENA will highlight how innovation and action converge to present additional opportunities in financial crime prevention. From using AI to detect suspicious activity to designing new safeguards, we’ll examine how the solutions emerging here can help dismantle criminal operations and restore confidence in global financial systems.”
Assembly MENA participants will also benefit from multiple networking opportunities, enabling them to connect with peers and industry leaders, fostering stronger collaborative ties across public and private sectors.
For more information on The Assembly MENA 2024, including access to the agenda and registration portal, please visit: https://www.acams.org/en/events/the-assembly/the-assembly-mena
Members of the media who wish to attend the conference in person, can register by sending an email request to rdahlan@acams.org with their full name and the organization they represent.
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About ACAMS®
ACAMS is a leading international membership organization dedicated to providing opportunities for anti-financial crime education, best practices, and peer-to-peer networking to AFC professionals globally. With over 110,000 members across 200+ jurisdictions and territories, ACAMS is committed to the mission of combating financial crime through the provision of anti-money laundering/counterterrorism-financing and sanctions knowledge-sharing, thought leadership, risk-mitigation services, ESG initiatives, and platforms for public-private dialogue. The association’s CAMS certification is the gold-standard qualification for AFC professionals, while its CGSS and CCAS certifications are for sanctions professionals and AFC practitioners working in the crypto space, respectively. ACAMS’ 60+ Chapters globally further amplify the association’s mission through training and networking initiatives. Visit acams.org for more information.
