Sheikh Zayed bin Hamad Al Nahyan, Chairman of the National Anti-Narcotics Authority, met with Khaled Mohamed Balama, Governor of the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates (CBUAE), at the Central Bank headquarters in Abu Dhabi.
The discussions focused on strengthening the national anti-narcotics framework, enhancing institutional cooperation and coordinating joint efforts to combat financial crimes linked to narcotics.
These efforts aim to protect society, safeguard public security, uphold transparency and integrity in the financial sector, and support the overall stability of the UAE’s financial system.
Both sides also reviewed ways to expand the exchange of relevant information and data and to boost the efficiency of response mechanisms and national policies, contributing to a safer and more reliable financial environment in the UAE.
Assistant Governors of the Central Bank and senior officials from both entities attended the meeting.
During the visit, Sheikh Zayed bin Hamad Al Nahyan received a briefing on the Central Bank’s mandates and its work in tackling narcotics-related financial crimes at national and international levels.
He was also updated on current regulations and legislation addressing financial crimes, as well as projects under the CBUAE’s financial infrastructure transformation programme. These include the digitisation of domestic and cross-border payment systems and initiatives to train national personnel to enhance proactive detection of suspicious financial activity.
Khaled Mohamed Balama, Governor of the CBUAE, stated that the visit provided an important opportunity to deepen institutional collaboration between the CBUAE and the National Anti-Narcotics Authority, supporting national efforts to combat narcotics-related financial crimes, preserving the integrity of the financial system, and reinforcing the UAE’s status as a leading global financial hub.
(Inputs from WAM)
