Kenya and Namibia were added on Friday to the gray list of “enhanced surveillance” by the anti-money laundering body FAFI, while the United Arab Emirates were removed. The two African countries suffer from “deficiencies” in their anti-money laundering policy, the FATF announced during a press conference, and “have agreed on action plans to remedy these deficiencies”. The potential exit of the United Arab Emirates from the gray list, which it joined in March 2022, was particularly anticipated. Like three other countries removed from the gray list (Barbados, Gibraltar and Uganda), the Emirates have taken “substantial measures to improve security systems in the fight against money laundering and the financing of terrorism”, the FATF estimated on Friday.
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The wealthy Gulf state, made up of seven emirates including Dubai and the capital Abu Dhabi, is an important financial and commercial hub in the Gulf and the world. But it has long been considered a tax haven and a hub for money laundering. The United Arab Emirates has also attracted a large number of Russian businessmen fleeing the impact of Western sanctions after the invasion in Ukraine, particularly in Dubai, raising concerns from NGOs and specialists in the fight against corruption. whitening. In response to the placement on the gray list, the Emirates announced in July 2023 the creation of “judicial entities” dedicated to the fight against money laundering. The Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates also decided in March to withdraw the license of a Russian bank hit by American sanctions and operating in Abu Dhabi, MTS Bank.
