State of Kuwait – 5–7 October 2026
The Workshop on Applications and Capacity Building of the Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force (MENAFATF) concluded in the State of Kuwait, held from 5 to 7 October 2026, with the participation of representatives from member states, participating entities and organizations, as well as experts and specialists.
Over three days, the Workshop addressed three key themes: financial fraud and illicit financial flows, asset recovery, and the use of technology in terrorist financing, with a focus on practical approaches and the exchange of experiences and practices.
The discussions highlighted the importance of strengthening the early detection of fraud, tracing and recovering its proceeds, enhancing parallel financial investigations and mechanisms for the management of seized and confiscated assets, and strengthening national and international cooperation in asset recovery, including digital assets and virtual currencies.
The Workshop also emphasized the need to keep pace with technological developments and financial innovation, assess emerging risks related to terrorist financing, continuously update red flags and detection mechanisms, and make effective use of data analytics, modern technologies and artificial intelligence, while enhancing information exchange and cooperation among competent authorities and the private sector.
Participants adopted a set of recommendations aimed at strengthening national capacities, enhancing detection and investigation mechanisms, tracing and recovering criminal proceeds, keeping pace with technological developments, and reinforcing regional and international cooperation.
At the conclusion of the Workshop, MENAFATF Executive Secretary, Mr. Suliman Aljabrin, expressed his sincere appreciation to the State of Kuwait for hosting the Workshop and for its support and efforts in ensuring its successful organization. He also extended his appreciation to all speakers, experts and participants from member countries, observers, and partners for their valuable contributions
He emphasized the importance of translating the outcomes and recommendations of the Workshop into practical measures that contribute to strengthening the region’s efforts to effectively address the risks of money laundering, terrorist financing and related crimes.
He also emphasized the importance of this Typologies Workshop and MENAFATF initiatives in contributing to international efforts to combat financial crime—noting, for instance, that certain outcomes of the workshop will feed into the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) roadmap for combating fraud (spanning 2026–2028)—as well as the value of the expertise and perspectives offered by judicial and supervisory authorities in the region to this collective endeavor.