UAE and Uzbekistan Hold Bilateral Meetings to Combat Economic Crimes

The UAE and Uzbekistan are strengthening their partnership to fight money laundering and terrorist financing through a new workshop in Tashkent. This collaboration comes as both countries work to protect their growing economic ties and build stronger financial systems against emerging threats.

The workshop, hosted by Uzbekistan's Economic Crime Prevention Department, brought together experts from both nations to share knowledge and build institutional frameworks. Hamed Al Zaabi, Secretary-General of the UAE's National Committee for Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism, led the UAE delegation.

Al Zaabi said the UAE's participation fits into its broader strategy of building cross-border partnerships while ensuring economic growth stays grounded in integrity and trust in financial systems. He pointed out that as economic ties between the UAE and Uzbekistan deepen, so does the responsibility to protect their financial networks.

"There's huge potential to strengthen both formal and informal cooperation channels," Al Zaabi explained. This could happen through memorandums of understanding, technical exchanges, or direct dialogue between practitioners. Such connections build resilience and allow quick responses to changing risks.

Jakhongir Khatamoв, head of Uzbekistan's Economic Crime Prevention Department, praised the UAE's major reforms in developing its national anti-money laundering system. He expressed strong interest in expanding practical cooperation with the UAE's national committee.

The workshop covered joint presentations on national strategies for fighting money laundering and terrorist financing, national risk assessment processes, and coordination mechanisms. Participants also visited Uzbekistan's Law Enforcement Academy.

Both countries play active roles in the Eurasian Group on Combating Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism (EAG). Uzbekistan is a founding member, while the UAE became the first Arab country to join as an observer in 2024. This gives both nations a platform to contribute complementary perspectives that strengthen the group's ability to create effective regional responses to illegal financial flows.

The partnership makes sense from a business perspective. As trade and investment between the UAE and Uzbekistan grow, both countries need robust systems to prevent criminals from exploiting these economic corridors. The workshop focused on practical threats like trade-based money laundering, which can hide illegal funds in legitimate-looking commercial transactions.

For financial institutions and businesses operating in both markets, this cooperation signals stronger compliance expectations ahead. Banks and money service businesses should expect more coordinated oversight and information sharing between UAE and Uzbek authorities.