MENA FCCG Europe Chapter holds meeting with the UK’s Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office
In its efforts to harness public private sector dialogue, MENA FCCG’s Europe Chapter held a virtual meeting with the Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office on July 9th, 2025.
The meeting was attended by Compliance Officers and Money Laundering Responsible Officers from nine Arab banks that are based in the UK or the EU.
The meeting discussed the relaxation of sanctions imposed against Syria and how best to accommodate the changing sanctions landscape while ensuring compliance with remainder sanctions that remain in place. The meeting also discussed sanctions compliance generally as well as the FCA’s Sanction Modular Assessment Proactive Program (SMAPP) in which some members have participated. The meeting also discussed the use of deposit aggregators and potentially producing guidance for firms considering using them. Finally, the meeting discussed the ever-evolving requirements around fraud risk management with a focus on the documentary requirements and need to conduct an Enterprise-Wide Risk Fraud Assessment.
The European Chapter of the MENA FCCG was founded in 2021 to lead and coordinate the efforts of Arab banks in the EU and the UK to fight financial crime in Europe. It is Chaired by Thomas Noone, Head of Compliance at Europe Arab Bank. The London Arab Bankers Association acts as the Strategic Partner, and the Chapter has entered into a Strategic Alliance with Themis, the financial crime specialist.
Contact:
Thomas Noone, Head of Compliance, Europe Arab Bank: Thomas.noone@eabplc.com
